


Guarded Hearts

by Dolphintreasure



Category: Youtube RPF, jacksepticeye, markiplier - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Angst, Bad guys, Birth, Blood, Blood and Gore, Boys Kissing, Cannibalism, Decay, Drama, Drinking, Drunk Sex, Eaten alive, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Evil, Explicit Sexual Content, Falling In Love, First Time Blow Jobs, Forgiveness, Frottage, Gore, Grief/Mourning, Guns, Gunshot Wounds, Hand Jobs, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Kissing, M/M, Masturbation, More tags will be added later, Morning Sex, Mutilation, Mutual Masturbation, Necrophilia, Nudity, Rutting, Secrets, Sexual Fantasy, Showers, Slow Burn, Stabbing, Survival, Touch-Starved, Trust Issues, Vomiting, Whiskey & Scotch, Zombies, calving, cow mutilation, depraved sexual activity, no youtube
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-09
Updated: 2019-01-26
Packaged: 2019-05-20 06:14:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 18
Words: 74,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14889185
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dolphintreasure/pseuds/Dolphintreasure
Summary: Patient zero was unknown.Mark Fischbach just wanted to enjoy his time in Ireland by hanging with his friends...he didn't realize he would be fighting for his survival after a zombie outbreak strikes, leaving him stranded and alone. That is until one day, after 2 months, he makes a new friend in the most...unusual way. Can they trust each other to survive together, or will they turn on each other in the end?





	1. Get His Name

**Author's Note:**

> This story has much more to go and doesn't even have an ending yet. I will add tags as I go as there is a lot of them.

Mark ran as fast as he could, trying to elude the zombies behind him. They were too fast. And, he blamed himself for his predicament, really. He was out scouting for provisions to take back to his little lonesome camp site. He didn’t belong to a group. Never did and he hasn’t seen anyone for a long time. He was stuck in Ireland, of all places. Mark had traveled to this country to visit his good friends Ken and Wade. That’s when this shit storm occurred. That’s when this zombie virus shit spread like wild fire. He’s not sure where it started; patient zero was unknown. He wasn’t even sure if this mess was worldwide, or just in Ireland. But, he was unable to call home and this massive outbreak hasn’t been thwarted by the military. Even if the military had this under control, and took people out, he was left behind.

His friends lived in a small remote village just outside of Dublin. He had flown in from Cinncinati to stay with them for a week just to chill and experience Ireland. That was two months ago. This shit started when he and his friends were coming out of a pub one night only to be jumped by this lunatic of a woman. She grabbed Ken by his arm and bit down hard into his flesh and like an animal, she tore his skin ferociously. She shook her head back and forth like a tiger in an angry rage tearing the skin layers down to his muscles. Ken smashed her head over and over while Mark and Wade did their best to fight her off. 

Nothing came of it. 

The deranged woman had gotten to his bone and by the time she was forced to let go, Ken was on the ground writhing in agony, bleeding profusely. The woman didn’t stop, either. Mark and Wade managed to shove the woman to the ground rather hard, but she was back up quickly and rushed in for another meal. Wade grabbed the nearest rubbish he could find and slammed it into her head. Her face exploded into blood and caved in her eye socket. She fell hard and finally stayed down.

In the meantime, Wade and Mark were too distracted by the fallen woman to not realize that Ken had changed. He went berserk. His arm was nearly off but that didn’t stop him from jumping onto Wade and sinking his teeth into the flesh of his friend’s neck. Wade had screamed, thrashed around trying to get Ken off of him. Mark stepped in gripping Ken hard by his shirt. Mark managed to yank the raging man off of Wade with blood spilling everywhere. Wade fell to the ground clutching his neck as his blood seeped between his fingers. He gurgled as he tried to breathe. Mark was wrestling with the fallen Ken who was growling, screaming, and flailing about trying to get at Mark’s flesh. Mark grabbed the piece of trash and smashed it into Ken’s neck causing the mad man to choke. Mark was able to scramble away from him, enough to look at Wade, who unfortunately, lost consciousness. Mark reached out to him, but Ken growled loudly behind him causing Mark to spring up and run for his life. He couldn’t hear anything but blood pounding in his ears and some sirens going off in the distance. He ran as fast as he could, knowing that Ken was right behind him. His lungs burned, but his adrenaline kept him going. 

Mark came round to the present as he was outrunning these bastards behind him. The growling noises, the sharp grunts, and the patter of feet slapping the pavement waved in his head. This zombie wasn’t alone, either. There were at least five of them that he noticed. Stupid Mark hit his shin into a bucket when he turned to run away after coming across them. This sound got their attention and he knew he was fucked. Quickly, Mark sprinted away towards an open warehouse. He found a fire escape to climb. Swiftly, with the bastards on his heels, Mark jumped up onto the ladder that dangled part way down. It gave a bit, but then it stuck and allowed him to climb clumsily. The bastards barely reached him in time as they all jumped for him scraping his pant leg with their nails as he jumped onto the ladder.

Mark hung there staring forward at the brick wall of the building, breathing excessively trying to calm his nerves. He’d been in similar situations before, getting surprised, but never spontaneously. Usually, he was more careful; more planned out. But this time, was a fluke; a fuck up. And boy, did he fuck up. He had no idea where to go from here other than up. 

He listened to the growls and screeches below him. He was so glad the ladder was holding. Carefully, Mark started to climb one rung at a time tensing with every creak the rickety ladder made. He held with a grip tighter than an iron maiden and he ascended quickly.

Just as he reached the platform, he stumbled over the railing, the railing itself caught his pack and pulled it from his shoulders. The ladder started to give way. In a panic, Mark pulled and hauled his ass off the damn thing which caused an all out collapse. His pack fell to the ground along with the rusty piece of shit. Humorously, the ladder crushed a bastard below him causing its face to split open. It laid there and died. 

“God-damnit!” Mark expressed loudly. His pack full of canned food lay underneath the ladder on top of the bloody bastard. That left four of the others still trying to claw and jump towards him. Mark kneels and slumped over kicking his own ass for his stupidity. He glanced around where he was trying to get his bearings. He couldn’t see past the warehouses. Some were green and gritty from not being used for a while. 

“Fuck,” he mumbled. He ran his hands through his hair and sighed. He looked down, then back up, and decided he needed to distract the bastards if he was going to get his pack back. He couldn’t leave what he found behind. 

Mark saw another ladder that lead to the roof of the warehouse. There had to be something up there to distract them. He would create a diversion and then slip back down to the ground to grab his gear.

When he got to the top, Mark ran to the other side of the building. He scanned the roof looking for anything. A large steel grate, or a large rock. He found nothing. Instead, it was flat rubble; nothing bigger than a fist sized rock was in sight. 

Then, from the side of the building, he heard a rustling followed by a soft clank and banging sounds.

Curious, Mark stalked over to the wall and looked down into the alleyway. There, a bit far from him, was another person. It had been so long since he’s seen another human being, let alone a survivor. He knew this person was not infected because they were digging through a blue dumpster. They were wearing a blue hoodie, black jeans, and had a wrap around their face. They were also holding a metal bat that looked dingy. They also had a pack, no doubt picking and scrounging for what was left in the dumpsters. Mark didn’t want to draw too much attention to himself; this person could be dangerous. But…then again, Mark could use them to his advantage…

Without thinking twice, Mark screamed as loud as he could which caught the person off guard. The survivor grabbed their bat and looked up to where the sound had come from, gripping the metal bat tightly. Mark ducked quickly so not to be seen. But his plan worked anyway. Soon, he heard the bastards stamping from around the warehouse and into the alley way towards the unknown stranger. Guilt ripped through his chest for a moment, but Mark quickly pushed it away wanting to run to where his items were.

Mark sprung up and hurried over to where he climbed up. Sure enough, all that was left was the bloodied figure and his pack with no other bastards around. Behind him, he heard an echoing crack of the metal bat against something, along with grunting and growling. He also heard swearing. Mark hoisted his body onto the fire escape and walked down quickly. He stepped over the railing, dropped his body down slowly, and hung by his arms before he landed on the ground next to dead body. He fell on his ass, but recovered smoothly.

He went to work removing the ladder from atop his pack when suddenly, from behind him, Mark heard running footsteps along with growling sounds. He gripped his bag cursing under his breath as he swiftly started running around to the alleyway he had seen the stranger in, remembering that he could hide in the dumpster until he needed to come out. Granted, nothing sees him. 

Mark made his way forward when he reached the alley still hearing the beating steps behind him. He ran to the dumpster and climbed inside while ignoring the dead bastard at his feet. He grabbed the lid and closed it with a soft thud.

The dumpster reeked of death and moldy food. His nose complained, but his aching body thanked him. He shifted on his ass as he heard the steps get louder until they were right outside the dumpster. He also heard the voice of a human grunting and cursing. Then, Mark heard the growling and sharp intakes of grunting noises of the bastards. A swift crack of the metal bat he'd seen earlier. And then, the growling stopped. The stranger was still alive and he had killed all four of the bastards. Mark held his breath as he listened to the survivors breathing. He shifted again and realized he was sitting on something. He looked down and in the luminescent blue of the dumpster light, he was sitting on this stranger's pack. Oh shit...

Suddenly the lid opened. Mark froze and gasped looking up at the person staring into blue eyes. Up close now, Mark could tell that this person was a man, lanky, but swift. Hell, he was able to out run the bastards as if he'd been doing this for years.

They just stared at each other not saying a word until...

"Get up," the man behind the wrap told Mark. His Irish accent was heavy, native born.

"Look, I don't-"

"Get. The fuck. Up," the man repeated a bit more irritated.

Mark complied and stood on his shaky feet not letting go of his own pack. Carefully, he climbed out of the dumpster not breaking eye contact with the man.

The stranger aimed his bat at him telling him to stay back without a word. He then reached into the dumpster and grabbed his own pack. He placed it on his shoulder. Mark just stared at him not really thinking of anything. He kind of felt numb.

"I should kill you, ye know, " the stranger mumbled. "Fer usin' me as bait. Fucking asshole."

"I know. And if it's any consolation, I'm sorry. My pack was trapped back there, and you could've been dangerous-"

"'Could've been'?" He retorted. "How do you know I'm not dangerous now?"

"I don't. But you don't seem like the kind of person who wants to get to know people anyway."

"Do you always jump to conclusions about people without knowing their name first?"

"Well, before everything went to shit, no. But now, yes. Been burned a couple times; not taking any more chances."

"Yet you're still talking to me."

"Just wanted to apologize, then I'll be on my way."

"Well you did. Now go on. Go on before I beat the shit out you."

"Threatening me, huh? I deserve that."

"Yeah, you do."

Silence and none of them made a break to move.

"I don't think you will," Mark said. "I'm still standing here."

"Don't tempt me, you asshole," the stranger replied holding up the bat to his face again.

"Well, before I die, can I know your name?"

The other man froze and stepped further away from Mark. His eyes had gone wide and suddenly, the stranger sprinted off. Mark looked over his shoulder and that's when he heard the growling, hard steps, and saw shadows on the walls of the alley. A herd of bastards were coming down the alleyway.

Mark turned and ran quickly, following the man's path. If he knew this area, then maybe Mark too could find shelter or safety. Not that this new person would want anything to do with him. That was fucking clear; and his fault. A possible ally quickly became an enemy as he betrayed the man's trust already.

Mark saw the man run towards an open garage door and he followed. Soon, there were four bastards behind them sprinting hard growling, drooling, and hungry. Mark ran harder.

He stumbled. He didn't stop, though, it did slow him down. Just as he got up to speed again, a bastard was close behind him almost able to grab his pack. He looked at the man in front of him as he noticed the garage door going down. He sprinted harder watching as it got closer to the ground. He saw the man making gestures as well urging him to go faster and to hurry. The growling behind him intensified and he kicks into the highest gear he could manage.

Then he fell. He stumbled as his weak ankle collapsed under him. He was so close to the closing door that he held his hand out just as he felt a bastard grab his leg.

However, he felt a tug on his arm as he was pulled into the garage. He panted heavily watching as the door came down on top of the screaming bastard. The stranger then knocked its head in with his bat and pushed the body out to let the door close fully.

The rest of the bastards slammed into the door causing it to rock in its hinges. Pounding and growling and screeches and grinding echoed through the dark empty room. Mark laid his head back on the cold cement inhaling as much air as he could to calm his overused lungs. His muscles ached and his head was pounding so hard that he couldn't think, or talk. He just lied there thankful to be out of harm’s way.

"Are you bit?" The other man's voice asked from the door.

Mark hesitated. He didn't actually know.

He heard steps walk over to him swiftly and he shuddered when the bat touched his forehead.

"I said, are you bit!?"

"I don't - I -" Mark was so winded, he couldn't form words. Suddenly, the bat was gone and the man kneels down next to him. He heard rustling, a zipper, and more rustling. His right eyelid was yanked open and a bright light blinded him. He squinted and tried to deflect the intrusive thing, but before he could, the man opened his other eyelid and repeated the action. Now his eyes needed to readjust again. He was still alive so he didn't care. The man began prodding him, checking his arms, chest and back checking for bites. Mark rolled over onto his side compliantly to let the man find anything. If this was the end for him, at least he'd go out quickly. This man knew where to strike for instant kills. That's talent. The fact that he was checking at all said a lot about this guy’s humanity. He could be dead by now, but this guy has been nice enough to check him over.

"Thank you," Mark said weakly.

"Don't thank me yet," the guy replied as he was now checking his legs.

Mark winced when he touched his ankle that crumpled under him.

"Shit..." The man said

"What? Please don't tell me it's a bite..."

"No just a heavy bruise. Can ye move it?"

Mark tried and did. He was able to rotate it, point it, and flex it. It was stiff and caused some pain, but nothing seemed broken.

"Probably just sprained then," the guy said as he pulled the pant leg back down. "Just stay off of it for a while and you'll be good."

"Kind of hard to do when you have to run every day from shit bags that want to eat you," Mark replied with a soft giggle.

"Well, then, do whatever you want," the guy replied. "That's the bad news. Good news is your bite free. Guess I don't have to kill you today."

"I bet you're disappointed."

The guy chuckled. It was nice to hear. "Not as much as you. You're a smart dude, even if you use others to get ahead. Good business strategy for sure."

"I , uh, worked in a cubicle before all of this. Accounting, actually. Was here for a vacation when it went to shit. Now, the job is to scavenge and hope I'll find a refuge somewhere. Better than a cubicle, though."

Mark doesn't really know why he started rambling. Maybe he did just to have the guy start to trust him even if they had a weak start. It was a start of some kind of alliance.

The guy didn't reply. He just lightly chuckled again before replacing his flashlight into his pack. He then helped Mark sit up and placed his arm over his shoulders.

"On three, we help you stand up. 1...2...3."

Mark used the ground and pushed against the guy to help him up. He grunted in slight pain.

"Easy, dude. Okay. You see those stairs there?"

Mark saw them and nodded.

"We're going up them and to a little shelter. It's not mine, but we have to stay here for the night. Can you do that?"

Mark nodded again.

"Good. Okay. Start walking."

Together, they hobbled Mark up the stairs. The whole time, the guy did not let him falter. He balanced him out and kept reassuring his efforts especially when he saw the painful winces and heard the hissing. The guy led them up the stairs and to a small room. Inside, Mark saw a sleeping bag and bucket. Slowly, they lowered him to the ground before the guy released him. Mark made a small noise but thanked him.

The guy turned to the door and locked it. He then pulled a small lantern from his pack and turned it on low. He also grabbed a can of beans and soup from his sack. They were pop tops so it was easy to get them open. Mark just sat there leaning against the wall watching the guy empty his pack. He was also presented with bottled water which he hesitated to take.

"Here. Take it."

Mark nodded a thank you before opening it and taking a long swig. The guy then handed him the soup can. Mark gladly accepted. He hadn't eaten since that morning. He was grateful to have some kind of nutrients. He looked up the man as he removed the wrap from his slim face and the hoodie from his head. He had green hair and scruffy goatee and beard. His cheeks were a bit hollow, but his skin was vibrant. Quietly, the green haired man began eating his beans.

For a bit, they sat there and ate in silence. They chewed respectfully, drank their fill, and studied each other from time to time. Mark let out a small belch and excused himself. This got a small laugh from the guy. Mark couldn't help but smile.

"Sorry. The soup is just so tasty."

"Yeah. Not much left out there. It was all I could find today around here."

"How often do you come here?"

"About a few days a week. I know this place really well. Hiding places, escape routes, shelters. I know where the staff kept all their food as well. Some of these buildings I haven't hit yet. That's why I'm back today. Sometimes I can find some good stuff in dumpsters, too. That’s where I got my good old bat." He smiled and swallowed his food. "I could really use a hamburger right now, though."

Mark nodded and swallowed another mouthful. "Ice cream sounds good, too."

"Yeah."

As soon as they were done, the guy took the empty cans and put them back in his pack. Mark yawned then. It's been a long day. And quite a day.

"Let's get you to bed," the guy told Mark as he crawled over to him.

"What about you?" Mark asked as the guy gripped his arm to help Mark lie down on the sleeping bag.

"I'll keep watch. You need your rest."

Mark nodded and laid his head down. Gingerly, he stared at the guy who was taking inventory of his things. He was being quiet about it, but Mark noticed him counting with his hands. Probably how much food and water he had. He was generous enough to share with Mark even though they literally just met. And he was still alive. Maybe the wrong foot was the right one after all. Mark watched through half hooded eyes as the guy shifted to stand up. This little closet like space had no windows, so more than likely the guy was going to head out into the stair platform to look out for any trouble.

Mark was right. The guy stood from his pack after replacing all the goodies back in, grabbed his bat, grabbed his torch, and carefully stepped out of the room closing it behind him. Mark was left in shear silence. They had gone a good distance into the warehouse so he couldn't hear the bastards growling and banging the garage door. He was thankful for that.

He yawned again and closed his eyes, no longer worried that he was going to die today. But he did forget to do one thing.

Get the guy's name.

Soon, though, he laid his head down and fell asleep telling himself he would know the guy’s name tomorrow.


	2. Waiting

Later that night, Mark paced the stairs that lead up and down to the small room. He didn't know that time it was, but it had been hours since Sean left, he knew he'd be back by the next morning, but still, worry filled his mind. To help ease his worst fears, Mark got up from the small room to explore the inside if the warehouse. There wasn't much to it. Lots of open space, garage doors here and there, all closed and bolted tight. Mark was carrying the lantern around since he didn't want to use up his batteries in his flashlight.

He didn't want to draw attention to himself too much. The place was very quiet and echo-y. His footsteps reverberated off the walls. The ceiling must have been at least one hundred feet high. If not even more. The bastards that had chased them into this place were long gone and no new ones had shown up. It was like living in a cave, though. Pitch black and hard to navigate. Mark didn't want to stay cooped up forever, though. He needed to get out and exercise his foot. Thankfully, it was much better. Mark was Able to put his full weight on it and walked with ease. There was no more pain. The swelling had gone down as well. So, his plan was to tell Sean when he returned and together they would head to his small homestead.

Mark trudged closer to the back of the building and found a high wall with a door. Out of curiosity, Mark twisted the handle and it actually opened. Mark held the lantern higher listening for any unusual sounds. When he felt it was safe, he entered.

It opened up into an office space. From the glow of the light, Mark could make out cubicle walls and dirty computer monitors. There were papers scattered on the ground everywhere; no doubt, everyone working here had to make a mad dash for safety when shit hit the fan.

Mark walked around scouting out for anything useful. He teetered into the small spaces searching for anything. In some drawers, he found files, folders, pens, all typical office supplies. He grabbed some pens and paper, stuffing them into his bag. He would save those for making maps later.

He proceeded to smother cubicle and routinely searched the drawers. He struck pure gold. Inside, he found a bottle of pain killers, band aids, and some snack food. He smiled and shoved the treasures into his bag.

Suddenly, in the darkness, Mark heard a rustling sound. Out of terror and on high alert, Mark crouched down low and turned the light off. He waited and listened very closely. His heart pounded in his chest and his ear drums vibrated almost painfully. He closed his mouth and quietly kept his breath to himself.

He heard the noise again. Slowly, he reached for his knife in his pocket keeping it close to his chest ready to strike.

The rustling continued and was closer to him now. It was still pitch black so he couldn't see the thing causing the noise. He was pretty sure though it wasn't a bastard. His light would have gained its attention a long time ago. He didn't want to take any chances, though.

Mark grabbed the lantern as the noise got closer to him. He turned it back on and held it out past the cubicle wall. He turned his head around the edge to look out.

He caught his breath and widened his eyes at what he saw.

In the middle of the floor was a bastard. Both of its eyes were missing and its bottom jaw was gone. No wonder it didn't see the light, or growl. But, it was crawling. Straight towards him. Mark watched in horror as it got closer. Carefully, Mark stood up and stepped out from the cubicle. He tried to avoid the papers on the ground. He didn't want to give away where he was more than he already has. This bastard did hear him come in, move around, open drawers, etc. and now, it was trying to find him.

Mark carefully moved a monitor on the desk and stepped up onto it. The thing had just gotten to where he was and he didn't want to be found. From this angle with the lantern light, he could see that this bastard has lost a leg from the hip down. More than likely crushed by something and it crawled away. Mark felt sorry for it. Whoever it was in real life surely didn't deserve this fate. None of them did. He didn’t even want to fathom how this thing lost its eyes and jaw…

By now, the bastard had crawled into the cubicle and hit its head into the wall not finding what made the sounds. Mark stepped down from the desk, knelt behind the bastard, and drove his knife through the back of its skull. The bastard went completely limp as it finally lay dead for good.

Mark sniffed and stood back up. He made his way to the door again. He looked back into the spaces and didn't hear anymore rustling. This bastard may have not been alone, so Mark didn't want to clear out right now. Sean and him were leaving tomorrow, so there was no point. Plus, he didn't want to get caught in a tight spot at the moment. Mark exited into the large garage space.

Carefully, he made his way back to his little hideaway. A part of him was hoping that Sean would be back by now. His heart skipped a happy beat at the thought. He was met with inevitable disappointment, however, when he opened the door to the little closet and didn't see his friend. He sighed and scolded himself for being so optimistic. He still refused to think the worst, though. Sean would come back, and they will survive together.

Mark laid his tired body down onto the sleeping bag and yawned. Minute by minute, his eye lids got heavier until eventually they closed to let him get some sleep.  
*******  
Mark woke with a jerk of his body. He inhaled a breath and then sighed it back out while his heart jittered in his chest. Somehow, he scared himself awake and was welcomed by the faint glow of the lantern in the small space. He'd forgotten to turn it off before he slept. Shit. Mark reached out to it and sighed in relief when he realized it was a solar lantern. He never noticed before. Good. Less batteries to worry about.

Mark looked around him and realized he was still alone. He has no idea how long he slept, but he hoped to god it was the next day. He didn't want to be stuck in this place much longer.

Mark stood and stretched his back out. The hard floor was taking a toll on his muscles. He needed a nice cot, or something softer, he wouldn't complain too much, though, he'd take what he could get. He's slept in worse places.

After relieving himself and eating another can of peaches, Mark grabbed the lantern and headed back out into the warehouse. From the cracks in the garage doors, he could make out day light. He smiled to himself and stepped up to one of the doors. He reached his hand out and watched the warm light caress his skin. He needed to get outside so the lantern could charge.

Mark looked around, puzzled. He wanted to access the roof so he would be safe and also look out for Sean.  
********  
It took him some time, but eventually, Mark gained access to the roof. He found a garage stairwell back towards where the offices were and climbed the stair cases to the roof door.

Surprisingly, he found it unlocked and he was able to get out into the warm sunlight. He inhaled the fresh air deeply. He needed it. He looked around and saw other warehouse rooftops in his line of sight. He walked over to the front edge of the building, roughly above where his little room was. He placed the lantern on the ground and then looked over the edge of the wall. He didn't see anything interesting. The area was quiet and bright. Just loose trash billowed around the alleyways and parking lots. Mark looked out further trying to see beyond the configured buildings, trying to make out the edge of the tree line of Shiloh Forest. He couldn't see it.

With a heavy sigh, Mark turned away and began lightly jogging around the roof. He stepped lightly just in case any bastards were hiding around. It was just something to pass the time and to keep exercising.

Hours passed and the sun was high in sky. Mark guessed it was about noon, or one o'clock. There was still no sign of Sean. Mark began to worry. He didn't want to lose hope just yet, but in the back of his mind, he was skeptical of his return. Worst case scenarios crossed his mind. What if Sean was dead? What if they got him? Or worse...what if another survivor had gotten him? Kidnapped perhaps? What of he just abandoned Mark all together…?

Marks nerves were on fire while this and more went through his head. After a bit of over thinking, Mark determined that he would have to go back to his camp site to retrieve his own items if Sean didn't return by...tomorrow morning. Surely, he would be back by then. Hopefully, he would be back by then.  
*********  
More daylight passed, and the sun was now almost on the horizon. Sean still had not returned. Marks heart dropped and tears plagued his eyes. The whole day, Mark just stayed on the roof practicing his combat skills, exercising his body, and watching out for trouble. The lantern was fully charged and ready. Mark searched the limited alley way spaces hoping to see any signs of his friend. He was met with none. A part of him was kicking himself for possibly giving Sean wrong directions, or leading him into something he couldn't escape from by accident. He tried not to think about it, but...what if?

Soon, the sun had dipped low forming beautiful streams of orange and red hues across the sky. Mark sighed as he grabbed the lantern and headed back inside the warehouse. He made his way down the staircase and back into the garage area with a heavy heart.

Mark went back into his closet space and sat on the sleeping bag with his back to the wall. He started crying. Hard. He tried not to. He tried not to lose hope. He tried so hard to keep himself together. But he couldn't any longer. Guilt, hatred, dread, and a slew of emotions occupied his brain. He viciously wiped his eyes and pressed the heels of his palms into his forehead harshly.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid..." he sobbed to himself.

After a bit, Mark gave up. He lay down on the floor and cried himself to sleep ignoring his hunger pains.


	3. The Cannibal

Sometime later, in the middle of the night, Mark woke up with a strong urge to piss. He blinked his eyes and they burned from his crying earlier. He sat up and rubbed them. He was in darkness because he remembered to keep the lantern off this time. Gingerly, Mark reached out into the darkness to find it so he could see where he was going. He reached his left arm out and bumped into something. Frozen, Mark held his breath as he tapped what the thing could be. It was big, and felt like...a leg. He ran his hand higher up and knew immediately that he was touching clothes. On a person! A person was lying next to him!

Mark felt around again in the dark searching for this persons face. He found it and realized he was touching a scruffy beard, lips, and nose. It was Sean.

Sean had returned! He snuck in while he was sleeping and lied down beside him without him even waking up. Mark was so relieved that he bent down wrapping an arm around the sleeping man in a small hug. His urge to piss faded. He was just so glad to have a friend with him again. All of his fears were put to rest and he laid back down trying to keep his joyful sobbing to himself.

Mark tucked his head between Sean's shoulder blades and sobbed even more. He kept his arm wrapped around the smaller man letting it drift up and down with his soft breathing. Suddenly, Sean stirred and moved to turn over onto his back. Mark propped himself up on his elbow and lifted his arm away from Sean's torso, letting the Irishman get comfortable. Sean grunted softly and moved his hand to rub his eyes. Mark heard him sigh. Mark didn't move nor speak not knowing if Sean was awake or not. He didn't mean to disturb him. He was just so happy to have him back. He got a little carried away by hugging him closely, and hopefully he didn't freak Sean out; if he even knew what Mark did, or not. Sean inhaled and sat up. Shit. Mark did wake him.

"Mark?" Sean whispered. "What's going on? You okay?"

Mark swallowed and sat up, too. "Yeah. Everything's fine. Sorry I woke you up. I didn't hear you come in. I woke up just now and bumped into you with my arm. When I realized it was you, I cried and hugged you. I'm just so happy you're alive."

Mark couldn't see Sean's face, but he could feel his body heat. He heard the other man breathe. Then, Mark felt himself being pulled into a hug. He wrapped his arms around the smaller man’s shoulders and buried his face into the crook of his neck.

"I'm glad you're okay, too," Sean whispered between them. "Sorry I worried you. It was a mess out there and I felt bad for not being able to make it back when I said I would." Sean pulled back then and released Mark. "I saw how exhausted you were when I came back. I didn't want to wake you. I just laid down and went to sleep. I didn't know you missed me so much."

Mark smiled in the dark. "I thought the worst, I'll admit. I wanted you to be okay and I wanted us to be okay. I had all sorts of terrible thoughts in my head. I just met you, so...I thought the worst of you...I shouldn't have."

"You thought I abandoned you?"

Mark was silent for a second before replying, "Yeah...but I also thought you got killed, kidnapped, you got lost because I fucked up, or bit and you just stayed out there to die. My mind was racing. I even stayed on the roof all day today looking for you. When the sun went down, my heart sank. I was going to head to my campsite myself to find you…or just find my things if worst case scenario was true."  
Sean didn't respond right away. They both sat in silence for a minute or so.

"I'm so sorry for not believing in you. I'd understand if you want to part ways."

"Mark, stop. I'll admit something to you right now. I had the same thoughts. Especially after you used me as bait. I thought what if this guy is just using me again? What if he runs off with my things? Regardless, I needed to come back even if you going to be here or not. I thought, eh, more food for me then. I can understand why you had the same feelings. You mentioned you were burned before. I'm assuming you were abandoned by a mate sometime during this shit storm. Am I wrong?"

"No."

"Okay then. I get it. Trust me, I get it. Nothing to be sorry for. To be honest, I was so relieved to find you still here because you were right. There is strength in numbers and we've helped each other. It's like we've been friends for years even if it only been a few days," Sean said and he chuckled at the last bit. Mark smiled to himself.

"I'm glad you're back, Sean. I've missed having a friend. I miss the companionship."

Sean was smiling at him in the dark. "Me too. Now, let's get back to sleep. How's your ankle?"

"One hundred percent better," Mark exclaimed.

"Good. We leave tomorrow."  
*********  
Morning had rolled up and both men were packing up. Sean had grabbed Marks sleeping bag and pillow which Mark did not expect to see. He claimed, however, that the cooler of his food was almost empty when he got there. He felt disappointed. More than likely, an animal got into his stuff. Sean noticed different animal prints around the area. It was fine, though. Sean was able to grab some of what few cans remained: more peaches, canned nuts, and beans.

Together, the two men exited the warehouse with their packs on their shoulders. Mark was a bit bulkier now that he had his sleeping gear, but it was manageable. He knew that if worst came to worst, he would need to drop it somewhere. Sean left the sleeping bag they shared in the little closet. He explained it never belonged to him; he just found it as is, but if he ever needed a place to crash, he always left it there. The original owner never came back to claim it.

With the sunlight on their backs, Mark and Sean made their way through the alleys carefully listening for any signs of trouble. It was still quiet with the occasional loose rubbish scattering at their feet. They listened for growling, heavy footsteps, or even out for other survivors. Besides themselves, neither of them had run into another living person in the area for quite some time. They were probably around, but they've never bumped into anyone. The area was quiet and desolate.

Eventually, both men made it to a main road among the warehouses. They crossed an empty parking lot passing dirty cars, broken glass, and some scattered clothing. Mark looked around and took in everything.

Neither of them spoke for some time. They just listened out and bumped shoulders occasionally.

They came to a long road now which had some trees and farm land on either side. Mark just followed behind Sean stepping where he stepped. They cut off the road and started making their way through a pasture. Mark took a second to look over the green landscape. In the distance he saw high hills and some thick clouds. He also saw a bird flying high overhead. He stopped walking and just stared. Sean stopped to and looked at him.

"Mark? What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Just taking in the beauty."

Sean stopped and looked around. "Yeah. She is gorgeous. Hard to believe those bastards are out there."

After that, they continued walking. Sean led them through large patches of lush green grass and soon, they both saw buildings. Small little old houses made of stone and stucco forming a small village.  
They approached carefully as they walked down a small street. Sean gripped his bat listening intently for any signs of the grueling monsters.

They walked for about an hour until finally, they reached Sean's little house. It was small, dirty, run down, but in the clear. He had a fence surrounding his yard. Sean quickly hopped over the fence and turned to help Mark over as well. They exchanged packs and Sean grabbed his hand and helped hoist him over the wooden boards. Mark grunted with the effort and thanked him. Sean smiled and gave him his pack.

Sean led the way through a back door into the house. Inside, Mark was immediately hit with the smell of pine. It was a small cabin like structure on the inside and it reminded Mark of a ski lodge. Some nice simple furniture filled the rooms. Some couches, kitchen table with chairs, and a small but well needed fireplace bedded the wall.

"Nice place. You lived here before the earth went to hell?"

"Yeah. Me and my family. Mum, dad, and my older brother. My sisters had all moved out when they were old enough. I figured I would stay since I didn't live too far from work. Plus the rent was free, so."  
Sean put his bat and pack on the kitchen table. He walked over to the windows and shut the curtains trying to avoid anyone the chance of looking in and seeing them. Mark followed suit and placed his stuff next to Sean's. Of course there was no electricity, so Sean had candles every where. Mark took the liberty of lighting them when he found matches on the counter of the kitchen.

Sean, in the meantime lit a fire in his fire place. He knew the smoke might attract attention, but they did need the warmth. It’s very possible someone had wandered into the village and might take it as a chance to approach them. Mark would be prepared though. The temperatures were dropping so they needed the warmth more so. It was worth the risk.

Mark stood next to the big couch staring at the smaller man lighting the wood. Soon, glowing warm light emitted and they both huddled in front of the fire. Mark held his hands out and rubbed them together. Sean blew into his fists and rubbed his fingertips.

"Got any marshmallows?" Mark asked with a smile.

Sean chuckled. "No. No hot cocoa either."

"Bummer."

"I do have whiskey, though. Wanna drink?"

Mark thought for a moment and nodded. Sean smiled, stood, and walked over to the cupboard in his kitchen. He pulled down a bottle of whiskey and two small glasses.  
Mark tended to the fire. He grabbed the poker and shifted the pieces of wood. They crackled under the maneuvering.

Sean returned to him and held out a glass that was a third full of whiskey. Mark thanked him and took a small sip. It burned on the way down and caused him to shiver violently. Sean laughed and took a swig himself. A shiver passed over him as well.

"Oh! Good stuff," Sean choked out and then coughed a little.

"Can't hold your whiskey?" Mark teased before taking another sip. He coughed a little, too, at the smoky flavor.

"No more than you can!" Sean laughed.

"This is good shit. Sad I don't have one of these. Glad I found you."

Sean smiled at him before taking another sip. He then sat down on the couch and sprawled out. His back was aching so he needed to rest it. Mark did the same. Mark stood from the fire place and found the other empty couch to lye on. His ankle hadn't given him any trouble at all today, which was great. And he was surprised they hadn't found any trouble along the way. Holy crap, they were lucky.

"I blame you," Mark said aloud before sipping.

"For what?" Sean asked with puzzlement in his voice.

"For being lucky. I was just thinking, we haven't run into any issues today and I realized it's because of your luck. Luck of the Irish as they say," Mark explained with a light hearted giggle. Sean giggled, too, before he sipped his own drink.

"We were, today. I'm not always lucky, though."

"You survived this long."

"...I almost died trying to get back to the warehouse the other day," Sean confessed quietly. Mark froze at that.

Not once had Sean given the slightest hint of having a run in while he was out. Sure, he was gone long enough and h mentioned it was rough, but he made it back without a scratch on him. Mark just assumed he was okay. Mark sat up then and looked at Sean. He knew it! He knew he had run into danger somehow. Fuck! And it was his fault, too.

Sean noticed him sitting up and did the same. He locked eyes with Mark. He saw the anguish in his face. Quickly, Sean stood and walked over to him. He sat down next to Mark and drew him into a hug. Mark froze not knowing how to react. He couldn't believe he sent him on a dangerous mission. He almost got him killed. And all for what? Food that had been taken by animals anyway? God he was so stupid!

"Mark, listen to me. It's not your fault. You couldn't have known. No one could've known. And I made it back, didn't I? I'm here! Alive, talking to ya, right? Look at me."

They parted and Mark did as he was asked. He looked at him, but he was blurry. It was because he was about to cry. A tear rolled down his cheek and he sniffed.  
"I'm sorry...the last thing I wanted was for someone to get hurt. I should've gone with you! I should've -"

"Mark, stop, please. We both know that wouldn't have been the best choice. We both know that. But I made it. I'm right here. It's okay." Sean was rubbing his shoulder trying to keep him calm. Mark slowly started to breathe normally again and wiped his eyes. He turned away from the other man and sniffed hard. He grabbed his whiskey and tossed a good swallow back ignoring the shiver down his spine.

"Careful, man. Or, I'm gonna have to drag you upstairs," Sean joked trying to ease the mood.

In all seriousness, however, Mark looked at him and asked, "What happened out there?"

Sean sighed and took a swig himself. He cleared his throat before speaking. "I...found the Rangers station that you told me about. It was burned to a crisp. I headed west a little ways and came across a severed arm...it was gross. I've seen body parts before, but this was nearly rotten to the bone. It smelled so bad. I continued on not thinking much about it. I didn't see any other body bits lyin round and eventually, I came to the clearing that you told me about. My hip bumped the string and I heard the empty cans rattle. I scolded myself and tried to keep it still not to draw attention to myself. This was about closer to sunset. I stepped into the clearing and searched for your tent. I found it and proceeded to it. I was hit with a really foul odor, though. It was so bad and I immediately knew what it was. The tent was still zipped, so I opened it, and there was a dead body rotting inside the tent. Your cooler and sleeping bag were gone, though. By this time, the sun had gone down and I needed to camp for the night. So, I removed the dead body and poured the piss from the bucket around the perimeter to keep predators away. I aired the tent out as best I could. I left it open all night just trying to get some sleep. Luckily, nothing happened over night. The next morning, I set out to get back to the ware house. I left the tent and headed back towards the station. Of course the dead body was still there and the strings haven't been messed with. As I walked, I suddenly heard twigs and leaves crunching behind me. I crouched down and looked all around me. I didn't see anything and the noises stopped. I stood up carefully and trekked again. Then, I heard the noises again. I knew it wasn't a dead person because I didn't hear any growling. It made me nervous that I was being followed. But I still didn't see anyone. Boy, I was caught by surprise. Turns out, there was a hunter in the area. I almost walked into their bear trap by the station house. There was a gun that went off past me. I ducked down and crawled behind a tree. And then I heard steps right behind me. And I felt a cold piece of metal to my head.

'Don't move,' a gruff voice said. After a bit he said, 'Get up, slowly.'

I did as he asked.

'Please,' I said, 'I just need to get home. Take whatever ye want. I just need to get home.'

He didn't listen. 'Start movin.'

He grabbed my bat from me and I did as told. He had a gun to my head, Mark. A fuckin gun! We walked for a while away from the station. He didn't say anything to me the whole way. I was terrified.  
We came to his campsite, I think. And I noticed there was a dead body chopped into bits around his fire site. He had an arm on a stick and a foot in his unused pot. It didn't take long for me to figure out what he did with them. He was going to eat me. I did see the blue cooler. Must've been yours. I saw a sleeping bag and pillow as well a little away from the fire site. It matched your tent. He led me over to the fire and told me to drop to my knees. I did and started begging.

'Please, sir. I have a wife that is sick. I need to get back to her with these antibiotics,' I lied. 'What do you want? I'll give you anything, if you just let me live! Please!'

The man held the bat close to him and said, 'Give me your bag.'

I handed it to him. He took it and started rummaging through it. While he was distracted, I reached into my pocket and grabbed my knife. I took a chance and lunged forward striking his ankle. He screamed and tried to swing the bat at me, but he went down hard on his ass. He dropped the gun and grabbed at me. I crawled away and grabbed his gun. It wasn't loaded when I tried to shoot him. He used all his might to grab my leg then and pulled me down. I kicked at his face as hard as I could, landing a few blows. I reached for my knife again and stabbed his hand. He let out a blood curdling scream and released me. I scrambled away from him as he tried to stand. I walked over to him quickly and punched him in the face over and over until he fell unconscious. I grabbed my bat then, tossed his gun as far away as I could into the tree line, and made my way to the cooler and bag. I opened it and there were a few cans left. I put it all in my pack, rolled up the sleeping bag, pillow, and started my way back to the warehouse. We must've walked for an hour to where he was and I did my best to memorize the way to the station. It was night by the time I found it. I clutched the bat to me and trudged up the slope back to the warehouse you were in. I found you dead asleep and didn't want to wake you. So, I just laid down and cried myself to sleep, thankful to be alive."

Mark stared at Sean at loss for words. That guy had been out there this whole time? Was he spying on Mark that whole time he was out there? Fuck, he could've been that guy’s dinner if he hadn't found Sean. Sean almost was his dinner! Some fucked up way to survive...shit...

Sean tossed the rest of his whiskey back and wiped his eyes. Mark drew him into a half hug and comforted him the best he could do. This man that he'd only known for a week cared that much about him. He tried to lie for him and get back safely. Mark was very touched.

"Thank you, Sean. I'm sorry. I'm sorry that happened to you. I hope you can forgive me."

"Mark, stop blaming yourself. If you'd stayed out there, he would've found you. It was a lure. That man deliberately posed the dead body in your tent. He wanted to see if it was occupied. He would've eaten you, if you stayed. I'm glad we found each other. He's still out there. I should’ve killed him, but I was too scared. But, we're far away from him now. He won't find us. I'm only sorry for the next poor souls to cross him."

Mark nodded and sighed. Both men stayed silent for a while just watching the fire flicker and the smoke billow up. Before long, Mark grew tired. They had been on the road all day and his muscles ached. The whiskey in his belly didn't affect his brain very much. He didn't feel buzzed, or drunk. He just felt relaxed; relaxed enough that he leaned back onto the sofa and closed his eyes. That caused him to release Sean's shoulders. Sean stared at him and yawned. He, too, was tired and ready to call it a day. But it was risky to sleep downstairs. Sean leaned over and nudged Mark on his side.  
"Hey. Let's go upstairs," he whispered. Mark merely groaned before sitting up. Sean stood placing his glass on the table. He walked into the kitchen and grabbed a glass of water. Mark stood as well and stretched his arms. He went to each candle and blew out the flames. Sean returned, knelt in front of the fire place, and extinguished the flames with the water. Fresh smoke blustered into the room leaving a nice trace of burnt ember pine in the air. Sean stood up again and placed the glass down. Mark just watched him, his eyes half lidded. If he wasn't careful, he was about to pass out just by standing. He yawned again.

"Come on. Beds upstairs," Sean told him walking past him to the staircase. Mark followed gingerly.

The stairs creaked under their feet. Soon, they were in a small hallway that lead to three rooms. Each one has a single bed in the corner.

"Why don't you take that room, and I'll take this one," Sean suggested. Mark nodded his head and stepped into the small room. The bed was a queen size, perfect fit for him. He set his pack and sleeping materials on the bed. Sean stepped in behind him with another blanket in his arms.

"It gets really cold in here," he murmured. "Trust me. You'll need this." With that, he placed the blanket on the bed. "I'll keep watch first, and then I'll come get you. Sound good?"

"Sure," Mark replied with a yawn. Sean gave him a nod and left him alone closing the door on his way out. Mark soon splayed the blanket out onto the bed above his sleeping bag and crawled underneath them. He propped his head onto his pillow and sighed heavily. He closed his eyes and drifted to sleep.


	4. Cold Coffee

"Mark."

Mark didn't move.

"Mark."

He started to wake.

"Mark."

Slowly, Mark came to and opened his eyes. Sean was there shaking his shoulder easily. "Your turn to watch."

Mark sat up and wiped the dry drool from his mouth. Already? Felt like he just laid down.

"Okay, okay," Mark whispered as he got out of the bed. "How long was I out?"

"Six hours. Everything should be fine. The sun will come up in a few hours."

Mark grabbed his blanket and wrapped it around himself. Sean was right. The room was freezing. Sean giggled tiredly at him before heading into his own room. He shut the door quietly.

Mark grabbed his knife and walked downstairs with his flashlight. He noticed a lit candle near the fireplace and a mug on the table alongside a book. He looked into the cup curiously and saw that it was coffee. How the fuck was he able to make coffee? Then, he found a little note by the mug. He read it.

'Mark,  
Sorry the coffee is cold, but it should help wake you up.  
-Sean'

He smirked and sat down. He raised the mug to his mouth and took a drink. It was very cold. But tasty. He sipped it again before grabbing the book on the table. It was an old book, written by Stephen King. Of all the books he had...Still, Mark opened the book and began reading.  
********  
He read it until the sun rose into the sky. It was a long book and he was only half way through it when he heard creaking from upstairs. He looked up at the noise then back to the book. He had long ago finished his coffee.

Then his stomach rumbled. He was hungry. Hearing that Sean was awake, he set the book down and went into the kitchen. He looked in the cabinets to find something for breakfast. Since Sean was nice enough to make him coffee, he decided to make breakfast for them.

He didn't find much. He found some canned fruit, oatmeal, and some other things. God, what he wouldn't give for some bacon and eggs right now.

Mark found a pot, some maple syrup, and grabbed the oatmeal. He filled the pot with water, lit a fire on the stove, and placed the pot over to boil the water. He slowly mixed the oatmeal into the water and let it cook. He grabbed some spoons and set the table. Above him, he heard Sean walking around. Coming towards the stairs. Mark found some bowls and set them on the table. He graciously poured half of the oatmeal mixture into the bowls between them and doused them in maple syrup. Sean walked into the kitchen yawning just as Mark finished putting out peaches for them.

"Morning," he smiled at Sean.

"Mornin," Sean replied looking at the set up. "What's all this?"

"Breakfast. Figured you'd be hungry and you were kind enough to make me that cup of coffee for me last night. Wanted to return the favor."

"Awesome. And thank you. I’m hungry," Sean said as he sat down.

Mark joined him. "You're welcome."

They ate respectfully in silence. They munched on their oatmeal and ate the fruit.

"How was your watch?" Sean asked after he swallowed a mouthful.

"Quiet. Nothing to report. Yours?"

"Same. Nothing but wind."

"That's a good thing."

"Very. Although, there are some things we should do today. I need to do a perimeter check, and I was hoping to start a garden."

Mark paused and looked at him. "You have seeds?"

"Yeah," Sean said, "I have different vegetables to plant. Carrots, peppers, cucumbers, pumpkins. I found a gardening store and the back was full of unopened boxes. Surprised they were still there. Only, I didn't have proper gardening tools to boot, so I scrounged around for them in the neighboring houses. Found what I needed and today would be perfect to start. Luckily, we still have running water, but I don't know how long that will last for. So, we should collect as much of it as we can and store it somewhere."

"Good idea. Do you have a basement?"

"Yeah, actually. I've also been saving cans, bottles, and the like to catch rain. I’ll go in to the basement tomorrow and get them.”

“I can help.”

“I’ll be fine. It’s not many.”

Mark nodded and swallowed a mouthful of oatmeal. It was going to be a busy day and he needed to be ready for it. They both did. Sean started chewing another mouthful and looked down at the table. They were again eating quietly. 

After they had finished their meals, mark and Sean stood from the table and put their dirty dishes in the sink. They bumped shoulders along the way. Sean smirked at him before leaving the kitchen to head upstairs. Mark watched him go standing there not quite sure what to do at the moment. Near the fire place, Sean’s home had two large windows and a door that lead out into the backyard. Curious, Mark walked over to the windows and opened the shades to see into the back. He wanted to get a glimpse of the fence’s condition. From afar, it looked pretty sturdy. Of course, he’ll never know for sure the true limits of the fence until he sees it up close in person. For all he knew, some boards could be rotting right off the nails. He studied the wooden beams for a moment until he heard steps coming down the stairs. He turned around to see Sean walk up behind him. Sean was carrying a pail of nails and two hammers. Mark watched as he set them down on the table in the living space. Sean started to rummage through the pail before turning to Mark holding a pair of gloves out to him. Mark gladly took them and inserted his hands into them. The fabric was soft and felt nice and thick. Sean had his own pair and did the same. 

Sean grabbed the pail and looked at Mark. “Ready?”

“Yeah. What if we need to repair the fence boards, though.” Mark questioned the Irishman. 

“I have a pile of wooden slats in the backyard,” Sean replied as he stepped to the door from the kitchen. Mark was behind him and followed outside into the fresh air. It was dense and the sky was overcast. Some fog plagued the land behind the fence. Sean made his way over to the edge of the house and got to work on the first board. 

Mark watched him first so he knew what to look for. This was Sean’s house, after all. If he had a certain way of checking that was best for the fence, then he wanted to mimic the actions as much as he could. He didn’t want to be irresponsible. 

Sean started by pressing on the board listening for any squeaking sounds. He took the hammer and tapped on different parts of the board from the ground up looking for any loose spots, or rotten areas. He checked all the nails as well. So far, the board held and he began the same process on the second board. He turned to Mark and nodded his ‘go ahead’ to him to signal that he could get to work. Mark nodded back once and started on the next board. 

There must have been over one hundred boards to check and this process was tedious. It was all, however, necessary. By the time they finished, they only needed to replace a few boards in the fence. That still left a good amount of wood slats for later. Luckily, this routine only needed to be done once a week, if not even less. Sean explained as they worked how he needed to keep it up just in case a horde was to come through. Mark agreed with him. Though, he himself has never come across a horde before, there was no telling when they just might. 

Afterwards, they went back into the house and grabbed gardening gear. So far, half the day had come and gone without any incident. They were both diligent, of course, as they worked. They also talked more and started laughing at small jokes here and there. 

“Lets put the garden in this corner over here. When there is sunlight, it’s well off,” Sean said. 

Mark nodded and followed behind him. 

Together, they stripped the grassy area and made a muddy patch. They left at least three rows for each seedling groups. Mark used the hoe to air rate the earth. Sean followed behind him to start planting the seeds. He planted cucumbers, green peppers, some others that he liked. He also had a pail of water carrying around with him and he watered each patch that he could. 

This was a long process that each man was exhausted after it was all over. It was almost sunset by the time they had finished their work. They stepped back and looked at the garden. Of course, it wouldn’t be much until the plants finally started to grow, but they were proud nonetheless. Mark wiped his brow of sweat and leaned on the hoe as he overlooked the muddy garden. Sean leaned on the garden shovel.

“Sean.”

“Yeah?”

“How are we going to keep the garden watered?”

Sean sighed and wiped his brow as well. “I’ve been thinking about that, and I have a couple ideas to try. We’ll need to get a tarp of some sort, a water basin, and some hoses. I’m thinking we use a basin to catch the water, attach hoses to it, spread out said hoses to even them out amongst the garden evenly, and when it rains, the basin will carry the water to the hoses and the hoses to the garden. The tarp will help capture any remaining water.”

Mark nodded his head as he imagined all of that in his mind. It was possible and could work. 

“Good thinking,” Mark told him. “But, what if it doesn’t rain a lot?” 

Sean laughed at that. “This is Ireland! It always rains!” 

“Oh yeah. Good point,” Mark laughed with him. 

Just as the gods intended, it started to rain. Mark felt a drop or two on his hand before one fell on his face. He looked up into the sky at the sunset colors behind the clouds above. He opened his mouth and the heavens opened up into a light drizzle. He caught the drops in his mouth just enjoying the feeling. Sean looked up as well and stuck his tongue out to catch a couple drops. Immediately, however, Sean rushed back into the house leaving Mark in the back yard. Mark closed his mouth and looked in his direction with a brief moment of confusion on his face. Sean then returned holding a few buckets in his hands. Mark smiled and immediately understood what Sean was doing. He grabbed a bucket from him and placed it on the ground by a drain pipe on the house watching the small amount of water collect at the bottom. Sean patted him on the back with a smile after he’d done the same and both men returned to the house and went inside. 

“We’ll work on the rain collection project tomorrow,” Sean said when they were inside. Both men were wet and suddenly it got cold. Mark shivered and ran his hands over his arms. He needed to dry off and change clothes. Sean shivered as well.

“Come on,” Sean motioned for both of them to go upstairs. Mark followed behind him. “Believe it or not, we do have hot water. I have a propane tank on the side of the house.”

“Cold coffee, but you have hot water?” Mark teased him.

“Save energy when you can,” Sean jested back. Together, they stepped into the hallway and Sean pointed to the bathroom. “You go first.”

Mark hesitated. “It’s your house. You go first.” He shivered, again.

“It’s our house and I say you go first,” Sean corrected him.

Mark smiled and nodded. “Okay. I know how to solve this. Let’s go at the same time!”

Sean laughed a bit at that before saying, “Not a bad idea. Could save on the gas that way.”

Mark up turned his head a bit at that statement. He felt his gut fall and his heart beat jittered a little in his chest. “You know I was kidding, right?”

“Yeah, I know. But when you really think about it, it’s a good idea,” Sean reasoned. 

“I…I don’t know how to feel about this.”

“Hey, no pressure. If you’re not comfortable with the idea, then don’t worry about it,” Sean reasoned again with a nonchalant smile. Mark nodded at him and smiled back. “I’m not trying to make you uncomfortable. It was just an idea. I get it. Besides, I don’t want you to get envious!” Sean said, then laughed out loud. Mark couldn’t help but laugh as well. 

“Seriously though, Mark, you go first. I’ll wait.”

“Okay. Thank you,” Mark replied as he stepped into the small bathroom. He gently closed the door on Sean.

“Towels are in the little closet, there!” Sean shouted from behind the door.

“Thanks!” Mark replied loudly.

Mark sighed then and felt his nerves returning to normal. He didn’t know why he reacted the way he did. It’s not like they were in a relationship or anything. It never even crossed his mind to start one. He figured Sean was straight as was he, although he never truly asked. Sean was just being resourceful is all. He didn’t actually mean anything by it. 

Did he? 

If Sean was gay, Mark didn’t want to come across as a homophobe. Mark knew his own sexual orientation. He was straight. In fact, he had a beautiful girlfriend back at home and her name was Amy. He had no idea if she was even still alive. No idea.

Mark’s heart dropped again at the thought of her. He cared deeply about her and he hasn’t seen her in months. He hoped to god she was okay. But of course, there was no way for him to know. As far as he knew, she was safe and sound with her family. He didn’t dare think of the alternative. 

Mark wiped his eyes and sniffed. The thoughts that flooded his head of their relationship came in at full force. He did think about her, sure. But, he never truly came to terms with never seeing her again. It broke his heart. 

Carefully, Mark stripped down and turned the water faucet on. He stretched his hand out to test the water. It was freezing to begin with then started to slowly become warm. Not wanting to use too much gas, Mark pulled the tab to the shower and stepped under the spray. He tilted his head from side to side enjoying the heat covering his body. It slowly stripped the day off his bones and aching muscles. Dirt flooded the fiber glass tub and ran down the drain. Mark also relieved himself in the shower. He’d been holding it for a while and didn’t want to waste any more water than necessary. The potent smell reached his nostrils for a second before slipping down the drain completely. He kept himself distracted from his own thoughts as he began lathering his body with the bar of soap that he found. He spread the suds across his chest and stomach finally reaching his crotch area. He knew he needed to work quickly to save the heat for Sean. 

After rinsing his body and cleansing his hair with some shampoo, Mark turned off the shower, reached out for the towel, dried himself off, and wrapped it around his waist. He opened the curtain and was blasted with cold air. He shivered but stepped out and walked up to the mirror. He cleared the fog and stared at his face.

His beard was thick and his teeth looked dirty. His skin was squeaky clean, but he needed to trim his over grown face. He searched the drawers on the mantle for the razors and found some. After checking over the blade, Mark took the bar of soap and lathered up his face. Satisfied, he started shaving carefully. 

When he was done, he looked at himself again. His face was clean and he was back to his baby looking self again. He shaved his entire beard and mustache off leaving his face smooth. He ran his hands over his face and stretched his mouth out and stuck his tongue out. He looked around on the counter and found a small bottle of mouth wash. He took a swig, swished it in his mouth, and spat the lather into the sink. He sighed with a loud grunt and cleared his throat. 

Slowly, he turned and picked up his wet clothes from the floor. He felt refreshed and clean, ready to take on another day. 

Because his clothes were still wet and cold, he didn’t put them back on. His bedroom was right outside, anyway. He would just slip right in and change. Mark sighed and opened the door. 

Sean was there holding a towel and staring at the floor. Mark stopped and his cheeks turned pink. He hesitated to move.

“Don’t worry,” Seam muttered, “my eyes are closed.”

Mark smirked when he heard the Irishman giggle. He made his way into the bedroom and shut the door behind him listening as Sean entered the bathroom and close the door.

He took a breath and let his heart slow down again. God, he shouldn’t be acting like this in front his new friend. He didn’t know why he was embarrassed all of a sudden. They were both men and it’s not like they’ve been doing anything. Mark shook his head clear of the thoughts. He then got dressed in newer clothes. To be honest, most of his stuff really started to smell and got really dingy. He didn’t have much of a choice, though. He found some pants and t-shirt to wear. In the background of the room, he heard the shower go as Sean started to pamper himself. He hoped he didn’t take too long and leave Sean with no more hot water. Curious, he put his ear to the wall and listened. He waited. When he didn’t hear any complaints, he sighed and stepped away. 

From his previous thoughts of being embarrassed, he just chalked the whole situation to not being used to another person. He’d been alone for so long, his social skills were lacking. Granted, they both got along really well. They had a horrible start, but they both came around to each other very quickly. Mark owed Sean his life. Sean didn’t have to drag him into the warehouse that day, but he did. Sean saved Mark’s life. And now, it’s to the point where they started to trust each other enough to make dick jokes. Mark was grateful and wished he could show it more. He didn’t really know how. Just making breakfast and helping around the place didn’t really make him feel accomplished, either. It didn’t feel like enough. 

Mark brushed off the feeling and sat on the bed. He was exhausted from the days work. With a yawn, he laid down under the blankets and closed his eyes. He soon fell asleep both emotionally and physically drained.


	5. Lay to Rest

Mark was jolted awake again by a dream. He dreams that he was falling and landed in himself. He slowly sat up and looked at the window. There was no light so he assumed it was still deep in the morning. 

Mark placed his feet on the wooden floor and stood. It was very cold again so he didn’t leave the room without his blanket. He wrapped himself in it and shuffled his way to the stairs and began descending. About half way down, he picked up the smell of some burning wood. He also caught a glimpse of light emitting into the room. Once he was down stairs, his eyes were immediately drawn to the fire place that had a nice fire going in it. Sean’s silhouette was facing away from him his head tilted down and he was wrapped in a blanket.

Mark walked over to him and saw that Sean was resting his head on his hand and his eyes were shut. His mouth was open slightly exhaling short snores. Mark smiled, laughing to himself. Carefully, he reached a hand out and put it on Sean’s shoulder. He gently shook him. 

“Sean. Wake up.”

Sean stirred in his spot and rose his head up. “What…what is it…?”

“Go get some sleep. I’ll watch till dawn.”

“But, I’m comfy,” Sean slurred as he slumped over again. He closed his eyes and snuggled against his own hand. “…don’t wanna move…”

Mark shook his head and walked over to the front of the couch. He faced the sleepy man that was now sprawled out on the cushions. He knelt down and brushed Sean’s shoulder again. Sean opened his eyes and stared at Mark. He remained silent.

“Go upstairs,” Mark told him. 

“Can’t move. Too cozy,” Sean murmured and smiled at him. 

Mark rolled his eyes and gave up. “Fine. Stay on the couch, then. I’ll keep watch anyway.”

Sean giggled and closed his eyes again. Mark stood and shook his feet. He unraveled the blanket from his frame and placed it over the smaller man. He made sure to cover him from head to toe. If he didn’t want to leave, he may as well stay warm. Mark smirked to himself before heading into the kitchen to find something to nibble on.  
*******  
The rest of the night went without any issues. If Mark didn’t know any better, he’d believe that this wasn’t a zombie apocalypse at all. He’d just believe that he was sharing house with a roommate. Moreover, he was the roommate. This is Sean’s house after all. The morning dawn peaked over the horizon. Mark remained diligent throughout the night. As cozy as this domestic setting was, he knew that trouble could rear at any time. During the night, he snatched his own blanket from the sleeping man and replaced it with the other blanket on the couch. Mark let the fire die on its own and he enjoyed the smell of the embers. Sean barely swayed on the couch and hung his mouth open as he snored lightly.

Mark was in the kitchen and started cooking more oatmeal for the two of them. While he was at it, he checked the cabinets and took inventory. So far, they would hold out for at least another few days. Soon, though, they would need to scout out again. 

Sean was awakened by the smell of syrup and the light banging of the spatula in the pan. He sat up and yawned loudly. He shook his head and rubbed his face. 

“Smells good in here,” Sean said from the couch as he looked in Mark’s direction. “I’ll be right back. Need to piss.”

Mark made a noise of acknowledgment as he continued to cook. Sean made his way up the creaky stairs and into the bathroom. Mark was so into cooking the food that he didn’t realize some water had gotten on the floor. 

He slipped as he walked to the next cabinet to grab some bowls and ended up falling backwards onto his hip.

When he slipped, Mark threw his arm up to catch himself on the counter, but instead, he knocked the hot pan over a part of his hand when he hit the handle. Part of the oatmeal spilled onto the counter, but the pan righted itself with a miracle.

Mark screamed at the searing pain of the hot liquid on his skin. His nerves were on fire and he clutched his damaged hand to his chest trying to ease the burn, brushing it off instinctively. In a panic he wiped the food off as fast as he could even though the pain was excruciating.

“Oh fuck!” he grunted through his teeth. 

Overhead, Mark could hear pounding footsteps and his name being called. No doubt everyone in the neighborhood heard him scream in pain. He scolded himself inwardly for being so loud. Carefully, but quickly, Mark pushed himself up. By the time he made it to the sink and turned on the cold water, Sean was right behind him in a heartbeat. He was breathing hard and had the most worried look on his face.

“Mark! What happened?” Sean said as he ran up behind the half Korean man. He leaned over from Mark’s side to get a better look. 

Mark winced as the cold water splashed his burn. “Fucking burned myself! I’m so clumsy. I’m sorry!”

Sean looked at the stove and noticed the spilled oatmeal and that the burner was still going. He reached over at shut it off before returning his attention to Mark. 

“Let me see,” Sean urged. 

Mark began to sob. The pain was almost unbearable even with the cold water dripped over it. He knew he was wasting water as well and felt bad about it. Before turning to Sean, he shut the water off and instantly, the pain intensified. He bit his lip and inhaled sharply, forcing himself to look down at the burn to scope out the damage. Sean gently took his hand as well and studied it. Most of the burn was splashed on the back of his hand. Reddened skin and a few blisters were visible. His hand throbbed and it felt like fire was dancing on his skin. Tears spilled from his eyes and he was sweating, trying to calm himself down. 

“Mark, come on upstairs. I have something that will help,” Sean said and looked at him.

With that, they both head towards the upstairs bathroom. Mark sat on the toilet lid and cradled his flame bitten hand tightly to his chest. He blew on it evenly trying to ease the burning sensation. It brought minimal relief, but it was all he could think of without wasting more water. Meanwhile, Sean was crouched on his knees searching through his items under the sink in the cabinets. He moved things quickly to the side making some noise. Finally, he retracted and placed a salve on the counter along with some gauze. He shut the doors before turning to Mark. They were lucky this bathroom had a window so light could filter in. 

Mark’s heart fluttered again. He didn’t know why. It was probably because of the situation. He felt embarrassed again for a different reason. Not because he felt vulnerable, but because of his bumbling mistake. God, he felt useless. How many more times was he going to fuck up before he got something right? He looked away from Sean, too ashamed to meet his eye. He continued to sob into the shower curtain.

Sean remained silent as he got to work on Mark’s burned hand. He uncapped the salve, put a generous amount of it on his hands, and began to spread it over the burn. Mark almost shivered at the feeling because it was so cold comparatively to the water. Instantly, it cooled his skin and the pain was lessening ever so slightly. He then turned his head slightly watching Sean work. The Irishman had the determined look on his face to mend this ailment. After the first coat, he poured more onto his fingers. He looked at Mark before continuing. Mark nodded at him. Sean looked away again to focus on what he was doing. He spread the second coat across the vicious burn delicately with his fingertips. He made sure not to press too hard on the flesh to keep from hurting his friend. He ignored Mark when he shuddered at his touch. After he applied the salve, Sean grabbed the gauze from the counter and opened the package. He dumped the soft roll of fabric into his hands. He unraveled it letting the roll unfold in his hands. Before he wrapped it, Sean placed a series of pads, also covered in the salve onto top of his burns. Then, gently, Sean held gauze fabric flat against a good part of Mark’s hand with a fingertip. Mark joined in and replaced it with his own fingertip to help Sean out. Sean simply began wrapping the flexible gauze around the burn. He made sure to keep from going to tight so Mark could breathe and flex his fingers. 

After a few laps over the burn from Mark’s wrist to his thumb and fore finger, Sean pulled out a small pair of surgical scissors and cut the fabric where it was. He also pulled out surgical tape to hold down the end. With the wrap in place, Sean replaced all of his items back into the cabinet and closed the doors. He sat back on his heels, sighed and looked Mark in the eye. Mark felt shame again and looked down at Sean’s work. He raised his bandaged hand and flexed his fingers. He still felt pain when he stretched his skin, but the salve was really helping to diminish it. 

“How does it feel?” Sean asked him.

“It feels good. Much better,” Mark replied with sadness in his voice. Sean nodded at him before standing up. 

“I hate those floors. They’re too slick,” Sean mumbled to him.

“…yeah. I didn’t see the water on the floor, and my foot caught it. I fell backwards and I tried to catch myself on the counter, but I hit the handle of the pot, instead. The oatmeal spilled on me.”

“At least you didn’t put your hand in the fire. That would’ve been worse. You’re lucky to only have a first degree burn,” Sean said seriously. He then began to rinse his hands in the sink. Mark couldn’t tell if he was angry, or not. He didn’t seem to be. But this was the second time he had to be taken care of, and he felt so horrible for it; like he was a baby that needed a baby sitter. 

“I’m sorry, Sean. I really appreciate you doing this for me. Seems like you’ve been taking care of me more than anything else. I wish I could return the favor instead of fucking up all the damn time.”

“Stop pitying yourself, Mark. Shit happens. It’s why I have this stuff to begin with. And we have plenty of food left, so no worries about that,” Sean told him as he finished rinsing his hands. He turned the faucet off and dried his hands on the towel behind Mark’s head. He didn’t move; until he felt a hand on the back of his neck. It was a gentle gesture. “It could’ve been worse, but you’re okay. We’re okay, and it will be okay. Got it?”

Mark looked up at him then and nodded. Sean smirked at him before saying, “Good. Now come on. Let’s go eat.”

Sean clapped his neck gently before walking out of the bathroom. Mark stared after him before rising and following him.  
*********  
The morning went on as normal. They ate what was left of the hot oatmeal and Sean searched his cupboards for other food items to munch on. The men served themselves and sat at the kitchen table. They had pleasant conversations about different things. They both talked about their childhoods, actually. Sean was pointing out all of the times he injured himself from the poor decisions he made as kid. He talked about how he broke his ankle at school, about falling down the very stairs in the house; he also talked about how he hit his head on the counter here in the kitchen. He pointed out different scrapes on the wooden top to show off his stupidity as a child. Mark had laughed at most of his stories and shared a few of his own. Like, how he got stung by bees because he purposely bothered a nest in his back yard; or, how he ended up in the emergency room due to nearly breaking his leg at the playground. It was nice to have these conversations with a friend. Hell, it was wonderful having a companion again, period. He did miss his family, his girlfriend, and his good friends Wade and Ken, god rest their souls. He thought about them daily. Their time together could never be replaced, but just having this kind of talk was very comforting. And yet…

At this moment, Mark started to tear up. He didn’t even realize Sean was finishing another one of his stories until he stopped as he saw Mark on the verge of tears.

“Mark? What’s wrong?”

“I’m sorry. I-I was just remembering my family and friends,” he said in between sobs. “Reminiscing about this stuff just made me think of them. I miss them. I miss them a lot. I miss my girlfriend, too. The worst part is I have no idea if any of them are alive… I want to think they are, but…a part of me is thinking the worst… I wish I could just know…you know…just to put my mind at ease.”

Sean stared at him and remained silent. Mark could see tears in his eyes, too. Then Mark remembered. He remembered that Sean actually knew what happened to his own family. Sean stood up from the table and walked over to the window that looked into the back yard. Mark watched him carefully. He saw that his shoulders heaved up and down and Sean began sobbing uncontrollably. Mark was sure he might hit the floor. 

Mark stood and paced over to him quickly and wrapped his arms from behind around the shaking man’s shoulders. Sean brought his hand over his mouth and wiped the drool and snot from his face. Mark encouraged him to turn around and stand against him. Sean complied and set his head into the man’s chest wrapping his arms around his torso. He continued to sob loudly. Mark encircled him once again rubbing his hands soothingly up and down his shoulder blades.

“I’m sorry, Sean. I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have run my mouth like that and-,” Mark murmured into the man’s green hair. 

“I killed them, Mark…”

Mark froze at that statement. He brought Sean’s face up to meet his as he gently pushed him back by his shoulders. Sean sniffed heavily and wiped his nose again. “What?”

“I killed them,” Sean said again once he was able to look at him. “They turned and…I had no choice! It was them or me! I didn’t want to do it, but…my mum…she lunged at me…I knew it wasn’t her…and…I…had to… oh god! I-I had to hit her! I would have never hurt me mum! Ever!!!...and my brother and my father… she must have…I think they all turned each other s-somehow…I couldn’t do anything other than what I had to do… fuck!”

Sean started balling at the memories and sunk down to the floor. Mark followed him making sure his collapse was controlled. He didn’t want Sean to end up putting himself out of commission as well. He couldn’t even imagine the anguish that Sean was burdening himself with right now. All he could do was listen and empathize. 

They stayed there on the floor with Sean somehow being cradled in Mark’s arms. Sean cried hard. Mark let him. It was well needed. Soon, though, Sean calmed himself and was now just spotting soft sobs.

“We’ll make crosses for them, Sean,” Mark said above him. Sean sniffed in his arms. His green haired head was against his shoulder. “They’re in the back yard, aren’t they. We’ll make crosses for them and you can lay them to rest. You did what you had to. I can’t imagine the pain it has caused you. But know that it wasn’t your fault. This zombie virus took your family, Sean. Not you. Know that.”

Mark felt guilty as well. He missed his family, but he didn’t have to end their suffering like Sean had to. He probably would never been brave enough to do that. Sean was a lot stronger and full of more compassion than he realized. This world hasn’t hardened his heart yet. He’s more open and accepting after what he’s had to do. Mark was again grateful for his friendship. After all this shit, it was more than either of them could’ve asked for. 

Sean sat back from him and his red eyes met Mark’s brown ones. Mark just stared and couldn’t help but reach his bandaged hand up and brush away the tears on Sean’s left cheek with his exposed thumb. Sean closed his eyes and sighed into the touch and sniffed heavily. He used his other arm to brush away the tears on his other cheek. Mark’s hand lingered there for a moment before resting again on his lap. Sean opened his eyes and was at loss for words.

“Come on, Sean. Let’s go outside and put them to rest.”  
**********  
Mark grabbed some nails from inside the house and brought out the hammer as well. Sean scrounged around in his pantry for some black paint and a brush. He didn’t find any. Instead, he brought his knife outside and carved the names of his family members into the wooden slats. He didn’t use the full slats. Instead, he broke off two pieces for each one. Mark nailed them together when Sean was done carving. Altogether, Sean made six of them. He made one for his mom, his father, his brother, two sisters, and…one for a female name Sean never mentioned. 

“Who is this?” Mark inquired when he stepped up behind him to peek. 

“My girlfriend.”

“I didn’t know you had a girlfriend.”

“I don’t know where she is. I didn’t kill her, but I haven’t seen or heard from her since this whole country has gone bat shit. As far as I know, she’s dead.”

Mark remained silent, nodding his head in understanding. He carefully took the crosses Sean made and brought them over to where his family is buried. Sean walked up behind him not long after. Together, the men set up the crosses paralleling each other. Once they were finished, Sean and Mark stepped back to observe what they had done. Mark looked at Sean who in turn was staring at the graves. Silently, Mark gathered up the hammer and nails and turned to leave. However, he was stopped by a hand on his elbow. Mark pivoted back around and found Sean staring at him, pleading for him to stay. Mark set the materials down on the ground and faced the graves fully with Sean still holding his elbow. 

“Mum, dad, family…this is Mark,” Sean said aloud to the graves after a while. Mark remained silent and let Sean continue. “He’s my very good friend who helped make these crosses for you. He actually encouraged me to do it. I didn’t want to because…because I didn’t know how to say goodbye. But, with him, I was able to come to terms with what happened between you and me. I know now that it wasn’t any one’s fault. It wasn’t your fault this happened to you. And it wasn’t my fault that I had to do what needed to be done. I hated myself for it, though… so much. You have no idea.” Sean wiped his eyes. He drew in a shaky breath. “I miss you all so much…it’s been hard to deal with all this without you…I wish you were all still alive, and I wish – I wish that none of this ever happened!” Mark winced a little when Sean spat that last word. “I love you, guys…and now...it’s time for me to say good bye…” Sean knelt to the ground and put his hand over his mum’s grave. “Good – bye, mum.” He repeated this action for each grave and said good bye to each of them individually. “I love you all…”

Mark wiped at the tears forming in his eyes. This was hard to watch, but he made it through. Sean then stood up and looked at Mark.

“Thank you, Mark.”

“You’re welcome.”


	6. Going On a Hunt

Throughout the day, the men worked on the water basin project. Sean gathered hoses from a neighboring home while Mark found a large barrel. The two of them worked tirelessly manipulating the hoses to fit a hole at the bottom of the barrel and Sean evenly spaced and spliced them into the garden. Mark began filling the barrel with water from the sink inside. Mark had the idea of using a make shift valve as well to control the amount of the water that flows into the garden. They needed to catch the rain first and they would use water for the garden when needed. Mark just needed to give it a jump start just in case it decided to not rain for a while. It was over cast today and the buckets they set out the day before had caught a few good inches of dirty water. With Mark’s right hand being wrapped, he kept a glove over it to keep it clean. The pain was still noticeable, but he worked through it ignoring his overstimulated nerves. 

By the day’s end, Sean and Mark were exhausted, but they had accomplished a lot. They stepped back to see their progress and were content with the work they had done. It wasn’t perfect by any means, but it would work for now. Sean couldn’t wait till the vegetables started growing. He smiled and patted Mark on the back which in turn made Mark smile back at him. They gathered their things and headed into the house. They shut all the curtains and doused the fire place to smother any remnants of the wood. Doing one last scope of the whole house, Mark yawned and turned headed upstairs. Sean stayed behind downstairs. 

Mark reached his room and fell onto the bed with a heavy sigh. It had been another emotional and physical day and still no sign of trouble what so ever. They were still doing well on provisions and his hand was feeling better little by little. Damn he was lucky. He was lucky to have found this place. Lucky to have found Sean. Lucky to have him as a friend. He was just lucky lately and he didn’t want it to end. It’s almost as if the zombies weren’t even real any more. He knew that was not true, but this blissful taste was too good to give up. He yawned then and crawled under his blankets. Today, he felt like he really came through for Sean. Well, it was a good start, anyway. He still needed to make this up to him.

With that thought in his head, Mark closed his eyes and fell into a deep slumber.  
***********  
This became routine for them. Mark would always fall asleep first and then he would take over Sean’s watch. They had split the nights into six hour shifts without even talking about it. Mark knew he just had to. It was only fair. This night, Mark’s inner alarm clock woke him up and the night was even darker and colder than before. For some reason, he felt dread when he awoke. He felt heaviness in the air and sensed something was wrong. Just in case his fears were real, Mark grabbed his knife from his pack and kept it tucked in his pocket. 

He carefully made his way to the stair case and looked down into darkness. The fireplace was dark and moonlight filtered in from the windows. Sean was not on the couch like he usually was. Mark was on alert now, realizing his imaginings may be real, indeed. He needed to scout around and try to find where Sean went off to. He went to the window that looked out to the backyard. He didn’t see Sean. He crept to the front of the house and looked out the front door window. He didn’t see him out in front either. The street was empty and just had moonlight streaming across the pavement, tinting the other houses in pale blue. Next, he would check the basement. 

As he got to the door that opened to the top of the steps, Mark reached out for the handle. It was cold to the touch and Mark shivered. He listened out for any strange noises. Anything at all. He didn’t hear anything. Realizing he didn’t have a light, he went back into the kitchen and found a flashlight. He dug around a drawer near the sink until he found it. He stalked his way back to the stairs and with a heavy sigh, opened the door into utter darkness.

Immediately, Mark smelled something gross. Something dead; could possibly be a dead rat, or a mouse. He shown the flashlight down the stairs and slowly crept down. The stairs ached under his feet, but he managed to get down safely. The smell got stronger on the way down. He flashed the light all around the space and didn’t realize how big it was. Everywhere he looked, he saw sheets covering large items. There were boxes piled on top of one another. He shown the light up at the ceiling and saw all the cobwebs dancing and dangling in the air. The smell was even stronger at the bottom. Carefully, he made his way through the maze of boxes following his nose towards the source of the horrendous odor. 

Soon, he found a door hidden in the back of the basement dwelling. It was hard to see due to all the boxes in the way, but there was definitely another section of the basement that had been closed off. Mark made his way toward it and ran into a box in turn. He knocked it over and the noise it caused was loud. He cursed himself and righted the box as quick as he could. Suddenly from behind the door, Mark heard a rustling noise followed by footsteps. Mark froze and raised his light as high as he could get it. Slowly, he reached in his back pocket and drew his knife ready to strike at the first sign of trouble. Had he and Sean been living with a bastard this whole time? How could they not know? Did Sean know and was he keeping it a secret from him? He needed answers.

The door opened then suddenly. Mark jumped and almost came forward with the blade until he realized it was Sean that emerged from the back room. He stared in disbelief and didn’t know what to say.

“Mark? What are you doing down here?” Sean broke the silence.

“I was – I was looking for you. I didn’t find you upstairs, so I came down here to look for you.”

“Oh. Well, here I am,” Sean said cheerfully and shrugged his shoulders. “You can put the knife down now.” Mark did.

“What are you doing down here?” Mark asked him.

“I was grabbing cans to collect water and I noticed this weird smell.”

“Yeah, I smell it, too. Smells like – “

“Something died, I know. I was trying to figure it out, too. I followed the stench into this room, but I haven’t found anything yet. I’ll look again tomorrow. It’s too dark to be down here right now.”  
“What if it’s a zombie?” Mark asked.

“Mark, seriously? I just said I didn’t find anything. I think we’d know by now if we were sharing this place with a zombie.”

Mark nodded a little adverse to the idea and didn’t question it again. He relaxed some more and tucked the knife back into his pocket again. “Well, it’s my watch, anyway. You go get some rest.”

Sean smiled at him and walked toward him. “I have a surprise for you, first.”

Together, they maneuvered around the maze of boxes and sheets. Slowly, they ascended the stairs back into the foyer. Sean closed the door behind him. Mark watched him close the door. Sean walked past him then and made his way to the back door. Mark hesitated before Sean motioned for him to follow him outside. Mark sighed and followed the man into the freezing back yard.

Under the blue haze, Sean lead mark over to the graves of his family. Mark looked on not really noticing anything different until, to the left of Sean’s family plot, he saw crosses with his own family members names etched into pieces of wood. Mark was speechless. He brought his hands to his mouth to keep from crying out. There was a cross for each of his family members that he told Sean about; there was one for his mom, his brother, his dad, and one for his girlfriend. He felt like crying, but didn’t know if he could after all the crying he did earlier. Sean smiled at him.

“I made them for you. Well, actually, I made the crosses for them. They deserve a proper burial as much as my family did. I thought you’d be honored.”

Mark was still speechless. He was on the verge of tears again. He looked from Sean to the crosses and then back to him again. His knees buckled, he sobbed, and fell to his knees. Sean knelt with him and put a warm arm on his shoulders. Mark turned into his friend and hugged him close not sure of what to say. Sean returned the hug and pressed a brief brotherly peck onto the side of his face. Mark took notice of the gesture and started to cry.

“I know we will never know if they are truly dead, but you deserve this. You deserve to say good bye, too.”

Mark pulled back from the hug and wiped his eyes with his the back of his knuckles of his good hand. He sniffed hard and looked at the crosses again. “Sean, I – I don’t know what to say. This is…amazing.”

“Hey,” Sean murmured leaning in while wrapping a hand behind his neck and pressing his forehead to Mark’s, “You’re welcome. It’s the least I could do.” With that, Sean gave Mark another quick peck to the forehead before standing up and heading into the house leaving Mark alone with his family plot. 

Mark stared at each cross thinking of what to say. At first nothing was coming to his head. This was such a beautiful gesture that he still couldn’t believe Sean had gone through this much trouble just so he could commemorate his family. Mark folded his hands together and shivered from the cold around him. He drew a breath and began to speak.

“Mom, dad, Tom…Amy…hi. It’s Mark. I’m sorry I haven’t called. I’m sorry that I haven’t spoken to any of you in months. I hope you know what’s happening. Then again, I wish you didn’t. I can only hope you understand why I haven’t been able to reach you, or come home for that matter. I don’t know if this virus is worldwide, or if it’s strictly quarantined to Ireland. I have no fucking clue! My only hope is that you all are safe and sound. Huddled together in our house just surviving and continuing on as normal. Tom, I bet you’re still shredding that electric guitar of yours. Mom, I bet you’re learning a new recipe so you can cook for me when I get home. You’re always optimistic. You never give up hope. So patient and kind…just waiting for your baby boy to come home soon. And Dad, I know you’re waiting, too. I know you have a whiskey in your hand topped with a cherry. It’s your favorite drink. Something to help you unwind and relax from hard day of work. Amy, I want to apologize to you whole heartedly. See, these guys know when I’ll be home. They’ve known my antics longer than you. But, I know you’re not used to them yet. I know I can drive you crazy sometimes, and we’ve had our days, but I do miss you. I do hope that you are with your family safe and asleep in your bed. I’m sorry I’m not there to cuddle with you. I’m sorry I can’t be there to listen to you about your day. I’m sorry I can’t send you flowers, or call you to say I love you. Just so you know, it’s been hard for me, too. It’s been hard for me to not see any of you, really. I hope you can forgive me. And, please…please…be safe. I’ll make it home one day. At least, I hope I will. If you will all wait for me, I’d be the happiest person in the world… then again…in the light of the event, that you are not home safe in your beds…that this virus has reached you somehow…then…I guess in a way, I need to say good bye. It’s hard because…because…in my heart….I desperately want to believe you’re all alive and doing well. I don’t want any of you to worry about me. I’ll be just fine. I’ve met a new friend. His name is Sean and we’ve been working so well with each other. Hopefully, we’ll survive this, and we’ll see each other again. One way or another, we’ll see each other again. I love you all. Good bye, Amy. Goodbye, Tom. Goodbye, Dad. And…goodbye, mom…be safe…”

Mark wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt and blew the extra snot from his nose onto the grass beneath him. He stood on shaky legs and headed back into the house. He locked the door behind him and shut the curtains. Turning around again, he sauntered over to the couch and sat down. His ass sank into the cushions and he tilted his head back with a sad sigh. He shifted forward again and reached in his back pocket to retrieve his knife. The blade gleamed in the little light that filtered in the room. He looked around then and realized he was utterly alone. Sean was upstairs asleep after his long shift, no doubt. God, what he wouldn’t give to grovel at that man’s feet right now. This was by far, the sweetest thing that has ever happened to him and he couldn’t help but feel much appreciation and giddy at the kind gesture. 

After a minute or so, Mark stood from the couch and walked into the kitchen. He searched through the cabinets and found the whiskey bottle. It’s exactly what he needed. Finding a glass, Mark poured himself a generous helping of the savory liquid. He couldn’t wait to taste the burn. it sucks that he has to drink it warm, but oh well. The burn would be all the more sweeter. Mark returned to the couch and found that discarded book on the floor next to the table before sitting down again. He opened the book to where he left off using that folded corner to help him. Mark took a swig of the dry liquid. It coated his throat in a nice burn as it went down and it left his mouth dry and wanting more. He let out a satisfied noise before setting the glass down on the table top. Then the delicious shiver sparked through his spine. He jutted forward and shook his head to help relieve the tension in his nerves. Feeling thankful for the mouthful, Mark picked the book back up and continued to read by the glow of the moonlight. He ignored the numbing feeling on his upper palette as he took another drink.  
*********  
The morning sun came up and the rays shown behind the curtains. Mark looked up at the light and yawned while rubbing his eyes. He was almost done with the book. He just had a couple more pages to go. The book itself was enticing and it left Mark feeling winded. Stephen King novels could be dry, but this one was spectacular. By the time Mark had reached the end, he was routing for the main character to find his son. Mark had actually forgotten the title of the book itself, but he couldn’t put it down. He sped through the pages quickly wanting to get the end as soon as he could. When he finally read the last sentence, he sighed with a satisfied breath. He shut the book and looked at the cover wanting to remember what the title was.

The Cell.

Funny how he was reading a book about zombie-like monsters that was caused by an international pulse field through cell phones. Mark read the little bio at the back of the book and snickered when he read that Stephen King still didn’t have a cell phone. Oh the irony. As a famous author, you expect him to have some way of staying connected to his agents other than just sitting at home with his old fashioned cordless phone. Mark laughed at the thought of the great Stephen King actually owning a phone box; the old, old fashioned box with a horn as an ear piece that had to wind to work.  
Mark set the book back on the table and stood to stretch. Above him, he heard the same old creaking boards and knew that Sean was awake. He didn’t make his way over to the stairs, though. Instead, Mark heard him walk over to the bathroom. Mark grabbed his empty glass and put it in the sink. As he set it down, he glimpsed at his right hand that had the bandage on it. He felt it pulsing a little bit and he realized he hasn’t checked it since it was first wrapped the other day. The salve was upstairs in the bathroom where Sean was, and he was taking a shower. Mark’s face immediately flushed as he imagined walking in and seeing Sean naked by accident. He soon banished those stupid thoughts from his head and scolded himself for feeling weird by that. Again, they were both men and it meant absolutely nothing to see him naked either on purpose or by accident. Sean seemed really comfortable around Mark and didn’t mind sharing brotherly moments with him. Like those pecks on the cheek and forehead last night; Sean was fine exchanging those emotions, and it could’ve just been the emotions at the moment, but he was glad Sean was comfortable. Mark was glad that he was a trustworthy person. He just needed to get over this strange fear. He was starting to believe that he was an internal homophobe. Damnit. 

Gathering what courage he had left, Mark took a breath, and strode over to the stairs. He climbed until he reached the top of the stairs and shifted on his feet. He heard the shower spray going as he turned the handle and entered the steamed filled room. 

“Sean?” Mark called.

“Morning. What’s up? Everything okay?” Sean returned from behind the pulled curtain. 

“Yeah, everything is fine. I’m just here to get the salve and re-bandage my hand.”

Mark knelt in front of the sink and pulled the doors of the cabinet open. He searched under the items until he found what he was looking for.

“Sure, no problem. I’m about finished, anyway,” Sean said. 

Mark smiled and sat on the toilet lid. Slowly, he unwrapped the bandage from his hand wincing a little when he felt it tug at his sensitive skin. Eventually, the wrap came off and Mark could assess the damage. The blisters had opened up, but were scabbing over nicely. His skin was still red and his burn felt tingly at a few points. He lightly pressed on the affected area with his fingertips, watching the skin retract and bounce back into place. He winced and hissed through his teeth at the sensation. The first thing he should’ve done was look for peroxide. He knelt again and rummaged through the cabinet. Shit, he couldn’t find any.

“Sean? Do we have any peroxide?” Mark inquired.

“Uh, I think so. Go into my room and check my bag. I’m pretty sure it’s in there.”

“Thanks,” Mark said as he stood to leave.

Mark closed the bathroom door behind him and went into Sean’s room. It was a simple set up. The bed was a queen size just like his and had a rug on the floor. It also had a night stand, dresser, and a mirror on the wall. Mark noticed a dainty hair brush on the mantle and figured this must have been his parents’ old room. Carefully, Mark searched the room for Sean’s pack. In the back ground he heard the water shut off and the shower curtain open from behind the wall. Mark continued his search unsure of where it could be. He knelt down to the floor and found the pack under the bed. He reached in and pulled it out. He unzipped the top of the bag and began digging with his good hand. His right hand was throbbing again now that it was exposed to the open air. He searched among the items and finally, at the very bottle, he felt a square like bottle. With a eureka moment, he pulled the bottle from the fabric confines and kissed it. He placed the pack on Sean’s bed and headed back towards the bathroom. The door was still shut and he knew Sean was still in there. Before entering, he knocked.

“You decent?” Mark asked form behind the door.

“Yeah, come in.”

Mark entered and was struck by the steam again. It felt good because of how warm it was, but he also felt sweaty. Sean was standing in front of the mirror and he was shaving. Sean’s own beard was a bit over grown and needed to be tamed. Mark noticed that Sean was wrapped only in a towel and the top half of him was naked. He was a lot skinnier than he made himself out to be. Mark could see his shoulder blades against his skin and he had little muscle definition. Mark suddenly felt sad. He hadn’t looked at his own body lately, either. Sure, he exercised every day to keep himself sharp, but neither of them had had proper meals for a long time and it was starting to take a toll on both of them. 

Mark brushed the thought aside and made his way over to the sink. Sean stepped to the side so he could reach out and grab the gauze and salve off the porcelain top. Sean returned to shaving while mark sat on the toilet lid again. He grabbed some toilet tissue, unscrewed the cap to the peroxide bottle open, doused the tissue with a fair amount of the cool liquid, put it aside, and dabbed the back of his right hand. He paid special attention to the scabbing wounds. He didn’t need to get an infection right now. That wouldn’t have been helpful for either of the two men. Carefully, Mark cleaned his wounds as best he could with the alcoholic acid. He hissed in slight pain as the liquid bubbled in his small wounds. He knew that meant they were getting cleaned, and it’s a good thing he did it now.  
Sean was just finishing up his shaving. Mark glanced up at him for a brief second. From the side, he had trimmed his beard to a thinner line along his jaw line while he trimmed the hair just enough to keep a nice maintained goatee and mustache. Sean brushed his fingers over his facial sculpture removing any little pieces and Mark watched as they flittered into the sink. Sean used the water to wash the hairs down the drain. Mark then refocused his attention back to his hand. He used some dry tissue to wipe away the excess peroxide. With a steady hand, Mark uncapped the lid to the salve and poured a good dose on his fingers. Gently, he began spreading the cool gel over the burned skin making sure to fill any gaps between the scabbed over areas. He paid special attention to the blister along his second knuckle. It appeared to bleed a small bit. Once he was satisfied, he shook the hand carefully and blew on it with his breath. It felt cool. 

Mark repeated his actions and applied a second coat to the first after it was dry enough. Sean meanwhile was checking his teeth in the mirror and checking under his chin for any stragglers. He prodded his teeth, ran his tongue across the surface of them and licked moistened his chapped lips. Reaching forward, Sean grabbed a toothbrush on the mantle and applied some toothpaste to the bristles. The noise of scrubbing teeth filled the small space. Mark ignored it as he continued drying the second coat of salve. After it was dry, he grabbed the gauze wrap from the sink, applied the edge of it to the back of his bad hand, held it with a finger, and maneuvered it around, stretching it out as far as he could manage with one hand. Sean looked down at him then with the brush hanging out of his mouth. He noticed Mark was struggling a bit to keep the bandage in place. He spit into the sink, wiped his mouth, and turned his attention to the man beside him. Mark stopped as Sean had grabbed the bandage wrap from him.

“Here, let me help you.”

Mark nodded shortly and let Sean take over. The Irishman crouched down on one knee in front of the American keeping his towel tight around his waist. Mark looked at the wall and away from him avoiding eye contact. His heart didn’t flutter in his chest this time, however. It seemed his body was getting used to having another man close by to it. Somewhere in his mind he avoided thinking about his uneasiness. But he was thankful. He was thankful he was having a normal reaction now to another human being close to him. He never wanted to feel uneasy around anyone. Survival called for other people. Just because he was burned by that one person, doesn’t mean Sean would be the same. For gods sake, he was crouched in front of him half naked helping with a bandage wrap. How could he ever think of Sean as being someone he couldn’t trust? It’s been a week and a half and so far, Sean hasn’t given the slightest indication of abandoning him, or using him. Of course, that doesn’t mean he couldn’t change his mind; especially if they decided to argue about something. Heaven forbid! Sean was acting like his caretaker and childhood friend at this point. 

Sean worked in silence as he wrapped the hand in an easy fashion. Mark turned to watch him work again thankful that the thoughts in his head were gone. 

“Are you sure you weren’t a doctor before all this?” Mark teased his friend as Sean finished up with bandage tape. 

“I do a pretty bang up job, don’t I?” Sean boasted back with a grin on his face. 

“You could have fooled me,” Mark replied with a short giggle. Mark then held up his right hand to study it. “Thank you. Again.”

“You’re welcome. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m freezing my balls off. I’m going to put on some clothes,” Sean stated as he walked out of the steam filled bathroom. 

Mark watched him go paying attention to his bones protruding and his muscles moving under the tight skin. Mark winced at the sight. Poor guy was wasting away it looked like. After he disappeared, Mark stood up and began putting the supplies back under the sink. He was thinking about their food situation. Sure they could survive on vegetables and fruit, but what they needed more than ever was meat. They needed the hardy protein that couldn’t be provided with just rabbit food and beans. They needed to do something about it. Mark closed the cabinet, stood up, and walked out of the bathroom into his own room. He found his pack and quickly changed into a new pair of clothes. After that, he found his flashlight, his knife, and made sure that he had some water and food in his pack.  
Mark had an idea. It was a dumb idea and he needed to make sure that he was ready in case something bad happened, but he was determined. Mark had made up his mind.

He was going out to find meat.


	7. The Farm House

A sheep, or a cow, or a llama; something! They needed something. Even if they didn’t have the space at the moment to start an entire farm, they needed something. Together, they would find a solution later. Armed with his pack, Mark grabbed his shoes and headed out into the hallway. He stopped in front of Sean’s door and knocked lightly. 

“Sean?”

He heard footsteps and then the door opened with Sean emerging fully clothed. He waited for Mark to speak again.

“I’m going out,” Mark told him.

“For what?”

“Well, after seeing you half naked, I had no idea how skinny you really are. I figured what we have is not enough and that we’re withering away. I don’t want that to happen. We can’t just survive on vegetables and oatmeal. We need protein. Are there any farms near here with cattle, or sheep?”

“You’re seriously suggesting bringing back a cow? Do you know how to slaughter animals?”

“I have no idea,” Mark replied honestly. He knew this was something that he needed to think about, but he was too determined to think about it right now. “I can learn how to do it, though.”

“Where will we put them?”

“Somewhere in the backyard,” Mark stated definitely. 

“Okay, well I know of a place near here, actually, that has cows. I’ll take us there. Let me grab my stuff,” Sean said as he turned away from Mark to go back to his bed.

“I’m going alone. It’ll be easier that way,” Mark stated loudly.

“Like hell you are! I’m going with you. Besides, if we’re starting a farm, we need two cows! How are you going to rally two cows and bring them back with an injured hand by yourself?”

Mark opened his mouth and then shut it. Sean made a good point and he didn’t know what to say in response. He watched as Sean shuffled around the room grabbing his items. He watched Sean check his own pack to make sure it full of the stuff that they needed. Soon, Sean placed his wrap around his neck and held his bat in his other hand after putting his pack on his shoulders. We walked over to Mark who stepped aside so they could both be in the hallway. With Mark following behind him, they strode to the stairs and descended down. They reached the back door and walked out into the brisk air. There was sunlight today which was good. It made for this trip to be easier, even if it wasn’t as warm. 

Sean and Mark hopped over their back fence and began walking down the street. Mark hadn’t really taken the time to look around at the neighborhood they were in. the houses were a bit dirty and the road was covered in leaves. There was a little bit of wind and he watched some of the dry leaves dance around on the curbs. They walked side by side as they strolled along keeping alert and watching out for any sign of trouble. Sean had done some really good exploring around and as far as he was concerned, him and Mark were the only ones around for a long while. The village wasn’t that big. However, both men knew better than to just assume. Someone from anywhere could’ve walked into town looking for provisions. They also could’ve attracted a potential threat with their fireplace being lit almost every night. So far, all had gone well, but they could’ve given themselves away. Mark searched low and high between each of them houses as they passed them. 

There was a lot of debris and rubbish around on the road. Mark saw clothes, shoes, and even a teddy bear scattered about in front of some dwellings. More than likely, families were in such a hurry to evacuate that they couldn’t bother with fallen items or personal belongings. Mark held his breath when around a corner of a house, he saw a decomposing dog. He looked away and swallowed the lump in his throat. Sean had pulled his wrap around his face and pulled the hoodie over his head. There was a chill in the air and he was just protecting his face. Mark shivered but followed closely behind.   
They continued on for some time until they passed a food shop in the center of town. Well, there were remains of what used to be a food shop. A charred skeleton and grilled tarp stood in its place with the logo torn in half on the banner above the brick store front. Mark tilted his head at the sight. Sean took no notice and kept walking. Mark didn’t stop, but couldn’t help but stare at the train wreck that was once Sean’s home town. Other shops in the downtown area had busted windows, fallen bricks, and some decaying cars were scattered throughout. Mark looked ahead of him then and noticed that Sean stopped walking. Mark stopped, too, and looked around with his companion to see if he could spot anything alarming. 

Sean gripped his bat tightly in his fist and put it on his shoulder. He looked at Mark and put a finger to his lips and then his hand to his ear signaling for Mark to listen. He did intently, and couldn’t help crouch low to the ground. It was a tactic that he used sometimes when listening for danger. He was in a running position in case he needed it. He didn’t hear what Sean was listening for, obviously. He was too busy thinking on the state of the town around them. Sean actually crouched with him and steadied his bat in his hand. 

There was silence throughout the street except for the wind that was passing by. Then, to their left and about one hundred feet away, there was a growling sound. Both men froze and stared in the direction of the noise. They heard a shuffling and some bricks being kicked around. It was coming from behind the tarp inside the food shop. Sean stood and urged Mark to do the same. So far, they only heard one bastard, but they didn’t know how many more could be lurking. Mark remembered to breathe as he and Sean quickly made a break for it being as quiet as possible. Mark winced at the sound of their shoes scraping the pavement. Together, both men scurried to the edge a building that was next door to the food shop and hid behind the wall. Mark pressed himself against the white stucco as hard as he could and held his breath. Sean was next to him, but could look around the edge of building. They both heard the growling getting louder and the billowing of the tarp as the bastard made its way out into the street. It was shuffling quickly coming towards them.

Sean reached into his back pocket and pulled a mirror. He carefully rounded it over the corner of the building to see where this thing was. He saw it in the mirror. It was about three fourths of the way to them. Sean saw that this bastard had a gnarly bite on its face. It was a woman in its waking life. Bloody shirt and her pants were missing. Her legs were decomposing underneath her torso. She was nearly skin and bones and nude from the waist down. The bastard was growling lowly, opening and closing her mouth repeatedly. Her head turned in several directions as if looking for them. Sean pulled the mirror back and looked at Mark. He nodded at him as if asking for permission of something. Mark nodded back not really sure what Sean was asking. 

Sean turned away from him before releasing a high pitched whistle. Mark froze beside the Irishman gripping his knife hard ready for a fight. From around the building Mark heard the growling get louder realizing that the bastard was getting closer. Sean knows what this thing looked like and he wouldn’t have put them in intentional danger. There must have been just one, then. They could handle one. Mark let a breath escape his lungs when he calmed himself down. He watched intently as Sean lifted the bat high over his shoulder, gripping it with both hands. Mark noticed him twisting his palms; no doubt, Sean was testing his grip strength. 

The shuffling of heavy feet and loud grunting became louder. Mark straightened his back against the stucco of the building glancing around the two of them to make sure no other bastards heard them. Sean was ready to strike this bastard, but who knew if more of them were around. So far, they were in the clear. 

With a forced grunt, Sean took a batting stance, lowered the bat, swung upwards in the strongest efforts he was capable of, and smashed the bat into the bastard’s half eaten face. A loud metal crackling noise echoed throughout the air and mark jumped a bit at the impact. He couldn’t see the bastard fall. However, once Sean struck its face, it fell backward ceasing its relentless grunting. Mark heard it crumble to the ground after the hit. Just for good measure, Sean rounded the corner out of Mark’s sight. The American heard the second metal crackling sound echo into his ears. He was still on alert watching from the corners of his eyes to keep their space safe. 

Curiosity got the best of him, and Mark proceeded around the corner of the building to survey the damage. He found Sean looking down at the dead body and realized she was naked half way down. Her head was caved in at the forehead while some rotten teeth, black coagulated blood, and brain matter lay beside her head. Mark swallowed at the sight. Sean looked around them, then. He turned back to Mark and made a movement with his shoulder to encourage him to keep moving. Mark obliged wordlessly as he replaced his knife in his back pocket again. Together, the two men proceeded down the street. Mark looked back for one last quick look at the mangled body. It was still there, dead for good. Mark pondered a second why Sean went through the trouble he did just to lure it to its untimely death. The Irishman could’ve given them away just by making noise. Not that it stopped him from wondering, or even ask Sean why he did it. Mark decided to let it go for now. He could ask later.

******************

After some time, both men were just a little ways out of the town. There was a beautiful field of dying grass ahead of them and Mark could see the lovely hills against the horizon. Lush greenery and sparse tree lines decorated the background. Sean was leading them to a farm that was just outside the village. Up ahead, alongside the gravel road, Mark could make out a small little house that had a wagon parked near a small barn. He was glad that they were close because the day was already wearing thin and his feet were killing him. Sean just trudged on like a trooper ignoring his dried blood-stained bat and aching body. Mark had fallen behind just a small bit due to the bottom his feet getting to him. He winced from time to time as they trekked onward. He couldn’t help but notice Sean’s shoulders bouncing as he walked. No doubt being on your feet all day did take quite a toll on the body. Fatigue would be the least of their worries, however, if they didn’t succeed at this mission they set for themselves. Mark just stood as straight as he could, shook his feet, and kept on alert for any signs of trouble making sure his knife was ready to grab. 

Sean turned to him noticing how behind Mark was. He stopped to wait for the poor man to catch up after seeing how he was limping. 

“Ye’ alright?” Sean called out to him. 

Mark nodded at him before he replied, “Yeah. My legs are just sore is all. Need a break soon.”

“Why didn’t you say something before? You’re no use to me if you fall over dead,” Sean laughed as he met Mark half way. “Besides, the house isn’t too much further. It’s right there. I’ll help ya.” 

“You don’t have to, man. I really appreciate it, but I feel like, again, I’m just…slowing you down.”

“Dude, you really need to work on your attitude towards yourself,” Sean giggled. “Stop being a baby.”

Mark stopped when Sean was beside him. Gingerly, Sean grabbed his left arm and looped it behind his head. Mark blushed a little bit. He didn’t mean to be a burden on the poor guy, but he was thankful nonetheless. Sean’s other hand wrapped around his waist to help hold him up and together they walked up the dirt path towards the house. Mark’s legs were more fatigued than he expected. With the help of the Irishman, he felt his muscles turn to rubber and each impact he made with his feet sent tingling sensations up his legs. He did everything to help Sean. He stood upright, used all of his strength to keep going. Sean never faltered, nor said a word.

Finally, after what felt like ages, the men reached the porch to the farm house. The old place was dusty, was covered in flecked paint, and smelled musty. 

“Okay,” Sean murmured beside him. “You are going to sit here on the porch while I go in and take care of any bastards around.”

“No way you’re going in alone,” Mark countered, but he was already in the middle of being sat on the wooden boards by his friend. 

“Don’t argue with me. I’ll be fine. You need to rest, anyway,” Sean said as he stood up looking down at the man. 

“Fine, I’ll keep watch out here. But if I hear anything, any screaming, or noise at all, I’m coming in there.”

Sean smiled at him. “Sounds fair. Sit tight; I’ll be right back.”

With that, Sean retied his wrap around his muzzle, lifted his baseball bat onto his shoulder, and made his way over to the front door. It didn’t take much to get it open. Sean turned the knob on the door, shoulder bumped it, and it gave way. He waited a moment, holding his breath. Mark did the same. On their way up here, there were no signs of any inhabitants. No one stopped them from approaching and they saw no movement behind the windows. Can’t be too careful, though. Human inhabitants were just as dangerous as the zombies.

When nothing happened for a few minutes, Sean bravely entered the musty house leaving Mark by himself on the porch. Mark looked out towards the road they had come up surveying the scenery under the dying light of the day. It wasn’t quite sunset yet, but it was definitely past midday. No doubt they would need to spend the night here. it was too dangerous to travel at night time. If they could help it, they’d travel during the daylight hours as much as possible. There was more to see, and the zombies preferred dark places, anyway. That is what Mark perceived as he traveled on different times during the day. When he needed to, he would travel any time. He hadn’t run into many humans along his journey, except one. Before Mark found Sean, he had come across another person; a woman, actually. She was traveling by herself and they found each other along a highway. 

She was being cornered by a zombie stuck atop of the car. She screamed and cried out in terror as the damned being clawed at her legs.

“Hey,” Sean said from the doorway breaking Mark from his memories. Mark looked at Sean and realized this meant the house was all clear. Not a single peep was heard from inside during Sean’s escapade. “You need help?”

“No, I got it,” Mark mumbled as he leveraged himself up. He winced a small bit then walked over to the man entering the farm home. Sean had stepped aside to let Mark in before closing the door behind him. Sean latched the flimsy lock patting the door to make sure it’s hold in the wooden frame was loose. It creaked, but seemed secure enough. Sean waddled away past Mark entering the little kitchen area. Mark heard Sean drop his bag onto the counter. 

Mark took a look around the floor and noticed little to no furniture. There was a small kitchen all set with a stove, some cabinets, a dead fridge, and one compartment sink. In the living area, there was a worn out arm chair and small love seat sofa. A tiny coffee table separated the floor space while a tall floor lamp over looked the arm chair. There was a small dining area close to the smaller bathroom set up with two chairs and a round wooden table. Along the walls were some pictures in frames. People were smiling in most of them. Mark stepped over to one of the pictures and examined the people. There was an older man with an older woman sitting next to him. She had gray hair, blue eyes, and she was wearing a pearl necklace. The man was older as well with white hair, slightly balding from front to back, wearing a tie and suit and wrist watch. The couple was so vibrant and happy that it made Mark smile. They must have been the owners of this place. He hoped they were safe wherever they were. Without much thought, Mark tipped his head forward and whispered a short thank you to the couple under his breath. It was a thank you for letting Mark and Sean use their home. 

Mark stepped back from the picture and peered around some more trying to get his bearings. He wanted to know where the exits were; he wanted to know every little detail about this place just in case trouble arose, he needed to make sure they could make it safely. 

In the background as Mark explored, Sean was rummaging through cabinets, drawers, and the pantry scoping and searching for any provisions they could use. Mark let the noise drown out behind him as he made his way over to the small bathroom. He stepped inside the cold room and found some blood on the floor. It was old, dry, and black. Mark’s heart jumped at the sight. He also noticed that the curtain to the tub was open and found even more dried old blood pooled at the drain on the bottom. There was no body, or any evidence of what happened in here. there was only a small trail of drips that lead out of the bathroom. Mark didn’t take notice before until now. 

He trusted Sean to have checked the entire house for anything before he let them enter and lock them in. For some reason, doubt was striking Mark hard in the heart and he felt the need to check himself. 

Carefully, Mark followed the trail to a narrow hallway. The hallway lead him the bedrooms of the house. There was only one bedroom, however. The trail of blood drips stopped at the door which was closed. Mark took a breath, pulled his knife from his pocket, and turned the handle on the door. 

“What are you doing?” Sean asked from down the hallway. Mark jumped a mile and gasped loudly out of fear. He stared back at his friend trying to catch his breath and slow his beating heart. “There’s nothing in there. I checked already.”

“But, I found blood trailing to the door. I just wanted to see if it lead to something,” Mark calmly told him.

Sean pursed his lips and walked over to the bedroom door. Mark stepped back when he could as Sean pushed past him into the small room. Mark sighed behind him and put his knife away. He peered into the room to see a dusty bed with sheets and blankets rumpled in a pile. There was one dresser and a small closet on the side of the room. Sean quickly opened it and gestured with his hands to it for Mark.

“See? Nothing. Put the knife away,” Sean sighed. 

“I already did.”

“Good. Now come help me barricade the windows and doors,” Sean strode past Mark and back to the kitchen again. Mark shook his head at himself for being foolish. He did trust Sean. He really did. He was just being…paranoid. 

******

Later that evening, both the men were physically exhausted. Mark sat in the chair while Sean laid out on the couch propping his feet up on the arm where he couldn’t fit. He was reading a book of some kind by the small solar lamp. Mark was leaning his head on his hand trying to stay awake, but he was failing miserably. Sean took notice and coughed in his direction just to watch him jump from his sleep. It was amusing. 

Both men had done a shoddy job at blocking the windows with blankets and wooden boards. It would do for one night, though. They used the chairs, bookshelves, and dining table to block the doors. All the while, they kept an eye out for any issues both human and non-human. 

The sun had set and both men had eaten some the fruit in their packs as their dinner, played a few games of cards that they found in the living room cabinet, and now were just waiting for morning to arrive. They never discussed who would have first watch, but seeing as Sean was still wide awake and Mark was half asleep, it seemed pretty obvious who will be. 

Sean looked up from his book when he heard a small snore coming from Mark. He marked his page, closed the book, and walked over to the sleepy man. He looked down at him wanting to wake him, but at the same time not. Mark looked so peaceful, so calm. It was exactly what he needed after the long trek they had today. 

“Mark?” Sean said loudly.

“What?” Mark instantly raised his head at his name pretending like he wasn’t asleep. “What?”

“Go to bed, dingus,” Sean told him through his smile. “I’ll keep watch.”

“I’m not tired,” Mark lied as he propped his head on his hand again. 

“Bull shite. Get your ass to bed.”

“Wanna stay out here…with you…safer…”

Sean rolled his eyes slightly before he ran his fingers over Mark’s head urging him to wake up. Mark let the motion happen, but didn’t move off the chair.   
“Fine, be that way,” Sean mumbled as he walked away from Mark down the hallway. 

Mark could barely hear the footsteps echo down the way, nor did he hear Sean approach him. His body jolted, however, when Sean dropped a pile of blankets in his lap. A gasp burst from his mouth. Sean just giggled lightly.

“Here. Make yourself a bed out here and then get your ass to sleep,” Sean told him as he walked back over to the small couch to lie down again.

“Jack-ass,” Mark murmured.

“I heard that,” Sean called out to him. He then flipped another page in his book and continued reading. 

“Fuck you,” Mark said in a grouchy tone.

“You wish,” Sean replied back.

“Ha ha, very funny.”

Sean winked at him before going back to his book.

Mark set to work untangling himself from the blankets and sprawling them out onto the floor. It was so much easier when the coffee table wasn’t there. He was able to spread the comforter onto the floor in front of Sean’s couch. He grabbed the cushion from the chair and placed it on the floor underneath his head. Mark lied on the blanket and a shiver ran through his body. He pulled on the extra blanket and covered his lithe frame as best he could. He turned his body toward Sean and closed his eyes, he then let out a large yawn. Before he fell into a blissful slumber, he felt Sean’s fingers running through his hair.


	8. The Intruders

Mark woke up to the sound of soft snoring and a cushion of light illuminating his face. He squints his eyes open and stretched his arms, turning to face the noise. Sean had fallen asleep on the small couch with the book laying open on his chest. His mouth was slack and small bit of drool was drying against his cheek. Mark suppressed the urge to giggle. He stood and walked down to the bathroom to take care of himself. 

He looked at his reflection observing his muscles and pale skin. He was getting paler and his muscles were starting to lack definition. He had some protein throughout this whole ordeal, but only barely. He was lucky is he found any perishable foods at this point. He taught his body how to survive on canned fruit, beans, and occasionally soup and he didn’t feel too weak as of late, but he still was extremely malnourished. They both were. This made Mark even more determined to bring back that damn cow if it killed him. He needed to prove himself and thank the man for doing everything. Sean had taken him into his home, bandaged his wounds, and had been there for him even if he didn’t ask. He was so happy to have him as a companion. This trip was so worth it despite how much hurt his body was in at the moment. The trek from yesterday made his legs feel weird and the bottoms of his feet were feeling better, but definitely felt flatter; if that was even possible. 

After Mark finished in the bathroom, he walked back out into the living room. Sean was still motionless on the couch. Mark watched his chest rise and fall softly and couldn’t help but smile at the tranquility that filled the room. Sean looked down right peaceful as if this world was not filled with walking corpses wanting to devour your essence at any chance they got. This was nice.  
Quietly, Mark stepped over to the main window of the room and took a quick little peek by moving the hanging blanket. He stared into the open field and was greeted by the morning sun. Mark squinted into the light, but didn’t look away. 

As his eyes adjusted, his heart leapt with joy. In his field of vision, there was a beautiful bright cow. She was nibbling on some dry grass and drinking in the morning dew. Mark’s body swelled with delight. 

“Fuck yes!” he whispered in excitement. Not missing a beat, he released the blanket and took long steps over to Sean’s sleeping form.

“Sean. Wake up,” Mark said loudly as he shook Sean’s shoulder gently. 

Sean snapped to and looked up at his friend. “What? What is it?”

“There’s a –“

BANG!!!!

Both men froze and Sean sat up instantly. An extremely loud crack pierced the air from outside echoing throughout the valley. Both men held their breath and turned towards the sound. It had come from outside and sounded like a gun shot. Which meant…

Sean grabbed his pack from under the couch, stood up, and placed it on his back. He then reached down finding Mark’s pack. Mark took it quickly placing it on his shoulders as well. Both men stepped over to the window ducking down, breathing shallow gasps. 

Mark bravely peeked from behind the blanket to look out. From a short distance, there were three men holding shot guns that were observing the dead cow. Mark grimaced to himself disappointed that the men got to it before they could. Great. He was also heartbroken that their luck had run out. These guys could be very dangerous. Now that they were here, who is to say they won’t come snooping in the house. There was a back door that they could sneak out of, but they would have to maneuver around these people. 

Mark looked at Sean and held up three fingers while his whispered the number of people to him that he could see from over the sill. Sean nodded in understanding and motioned for the back door. Mark shook his head as he peered out again. The men were moving closer to the house now and they were talking. The walls muffled their conversation, but Mark didn’t want to stick around to hear it. He motioned that the three men were coming to the house and that they had guns. Sean’s eyes widened in response and motioned for the back door again. Mark nodded this time.

Together, both men crept to the kitchen and started to gently take down their barricade. They were trying to be as quiet as possible, until they heard a man’s voice outside.

“We can try this door,” Mark and Sean both heard clear as day. They stopped and made their way back to the living room doing their best to stay out of sight.

Suddenly, the knob jiggled and the door shook in its frame. While they were distracted, Mark and Sean started taking down the stuff behind the front door.

“I can’t get through this one! Go to the front! I’ll keep trying!” they both heard from outside the kitchen. The door shook again leading Mark’s heart to sink lower and lower with every rattle. They were trapped. Their only hope was to get out of a window, but that would give them away. They had two options: they could hide, or run. 

A sudden gunshot rang through the air as a bit of wooden debris from the kitchen back door flew onto the floor from the blast. Sean suddenly pushed Mark down the hallway to the bedroom. They moved quickly, but quietly. So far, it didn’t seem like the men heard them. Once they were inside the room, Sean made his way over to the window. The loud banging sounds and the men’s grunting noises filled the rooms outside. They were breaking down the barricades fast and Mark was sweating. 

“Mark, get through the window and sprint as fast as you can for the barn,” Sean suddenly told him.

“What about you?” Mark asked quickly.

“I’ll be behind you.”

“But-“

“I will! Now hurry!”

Sean leapt to his feet and opened what he could of the window. Mark stood up and climbed up. He felt Sean push on his legs helping him through the small opening. At that moment, they both heard the doors flinging open. Shit!

Mark fell to the ground outside and rolled onto his arms. He pushed himself up and sprinted as hard as he could, not looking back. Sean would be right behind him. 

Mark saw the barn and ran hard, burning his lungs in the process. The hard ground beneath him wasn’t doing his joints any favors, but the adrenaline ignored it. He was running on pure instinct; pure survival. 

When he reached the barn, Mark ran to the side of the building and collapsed against the wall out of sight of the house. He smashed his back against the wooden building taking time for his lungs to catch up with him. Mark nearly fell to the ground, but managed to keep himself upright. 

That’s when he noticed Sean wasn’t with him.

“Fuck!” he growled to himself. He left Sean.

He left Sean in there.

He left Sean in there with them! 

Fuck, fuck, fuck!

He wanted to call out so badly; he wanted to call for his friend like his life depended on it. He wanted…he needed…FUCK!

Mark peeked around the edge of the structure to see if he was dreaming. He desperately wanted to see Sean’s face running towards him; he desperately wanted to get him out of there. Who knows what those men were capable of doing. Who knows if they were friendly, or malicious! He was afraid either way. 

All of it really set in when Mark did not see Sean had emerged from the house. He was a good distance away; therefore, he could not hear anything that was happening. If he heard a gunshot, he would’ve known something happened, but other than that…he would know nothing. Mark swallowed and tears were prickling his eyes.

“I have to help him,” he said aloud. “I have to help him.”

Without another thought, Mark dropped his backpack; he would return for it later. Mark ran back toward the house, but stayed low to the ground when he arrived. He could hear voices as he approached in a stealth-like manner trying to ease his way around to the corner of the house. He had run back underneath the same bedroom window he escaped from, crouching down low to the ground. The voices inside were muffled, but he heard the men inside walking around a searching the rooms. He prayed to the gods above that they didn’t find Sean. He prayed to the gods that he was okay. Mark reached into his back pocket and grabbed his knife clutching it tightly with his fingers. His knuckles turned white ready for bloodshed if necessary. He really hoped he didn’t have to kill any one today. He really did not want to.

Mark held his breath at a loud banging sound striking the wall behind him. He jumped a little at the contact and it was followed by a man yelling. It was not Sean’s voice. 

“Hey! I found someone!” the unfamiliar voice shouted from behind the wall. It was followed by heavy footsteps and grunting sounds. It sounds like this all was happening in the bedroom – where he left Sean. Fuck. 

Mark’s blood ran cold and the color drained from his face. He kept slowly creeping to the front door making sure to keep his hold on the blade in his hand. He was determined to go in there and take care of these assholes if need be. He couldn’t let his companion die. 

For all he knew these guys were going to rob them without a second thought of remorse. Who knows what these guys are capable of doing. But whatever their intent is, it does not sound good so far.  
As Mark kept creeping to the front door, he was underneath the living room window now. And the heavy noises in the house – the grunting, the footsteps, the yelling – all continued.

There was talking, but it was muffled again.

“Search him,” someone mentioned. Mark froze again.

“Don’t you fucking hurt him,” Mark growled lowly to himself. 

“What you got, punk?” another yell came from behind the window. Silence followed until Mark heard a grunt and then a sound like someone had fallen down. Mark winced internally and blinked his eyes. His hands were shaking.

“Don’t want to share, ey? That’s fine. We’ll just take it,” he heard another man say. 

“Nice bat. What do you use it for? Baseball?” someone asked. Mark looked up at that and realized he needed to move quickly. 

“Where do you find a baseball now?” a laugh from someone sounded. 

“At your mum’s house, PJ!” 

“Fuck you, dick bag!”

“Either way, does this punk even need it anymore? Well, do ye? Speak up, lad! It may save your life, ye know!” the voice taunted. More than likely, this asshole was speaking to Sean. This entire time, Mark didn’t hear Sean make a sound other than grunting. He kept his mouth shut. Whether that was smart or not was being determined by this asshole’s intent.

Mark had finally made it onto the porch. The front door was closed for the most part, but Mark noticed it was ajar just a little bit. He tipped his head to see inside. He swallowed. From where he could see, Sean was sitting on the floor and two of the guys were standing over him. One of them was swinging the bat as if practicing for a game. The other was aiming his shotgun at Sean’s temple. Mark could only make out the profile of Sean’s face and saw a forming bruise on his eye socket. No doubt these assholes struck him, just as Mark feared. The guy that was swinging the bat had a bearded face, looked to be about mid-thirties, maybe younger. He had blonde hair and is lean in stature, but very tall. Somewhere in the distance of the house, more than likely the kitchen, Mark heard rummaging and clattering. These assholes were probably just helping themselves to whatever was in Sean’s back pack.

“Hey, Felix! This kid has a lot of great stuff! A lantern, bandages, canned fruit. Man, he’s been living like a king! Ask him if he belongs to a group and where we can find them,” a voice called from the kitchen.

The man that swung the bat stopped and looked down at Sean. He placed the end of bat under his chin tilting his head up. “How about it, lad? Are you alone? Or, do you have a family? Any women there? I use a good fuck,” the man that must have been called Felix grinned while laughing slightly. 

“I’m alone,” Sean spoke up for the first time. It was barely a whisper.

“Bullshit, you little prick! No one has it this good out here. I’m gonna ask you again and you better be telling the truth. Where is your group? We just want to say ‘hi,’ is all,” Felix sneered. He was threatening Sean with his own bat.

“I’m not lyin’,” Sean jeered back.

The man pulled the bat away from Sean and the barrel of the gun was almost touching his head now as the gunman got closer. “Hmph. I still don’t believe you. Maybe the bat can get something out of you. What do you say, lad?”

Sean remained silent and looked down, visibly shaken. Mark pursed his lips as his inner rage simmered to a boil. 

“Last chance, prick,” Felix said. Mark’s stomach lurched when he saw him lift the metallic object hovering over Sean’s head. Sean still remained silent not looking up. He was shaking from what he could see, but tried to remain as tough as nails. 

After another moment, the blonde haired man above him said quietly, “Suit yourself.”

Before he could land a blow, Mark hit the front door as hard as he could, thrusting it open sharply. It slammed hard into the wall causing everyone to jump and look in its direction. Before he could be seen, Mark sprinted around the corner of the house staying out of sight. 

“What the fuck was that?” he heard the man shout from the kitchen.

“How the fuck should I know, dipshit! Go check it out. Whoever is out there is probably with this prick. I knew he was lying to us! You little shit!” Mark heard a grunt and something fall to the ground. He winced imagining it was Sean. No doubt they hit him again. Mark really did not want to kill anyone today, but he was left with no choice. 

“Should I shoot him?” he heard someone, who he presumed was the gunman, ask.

“No, PJ, not yet. He may still have a group he can take us to,” he heard the leader, which seemed to be Felix, say. 

“So why did you hit him, then?” the man named PJ asked confused.

“He pissed me off!” Felix yelled.

“Come on out, you fucking cunt!” the man from the kitchen emerged from the front door onto the porch holding his shot gun. He was a burly man, tall, with a cap on his head. Mark stayed out of sight underneath the small window of the bedroom. He gripped his knife again ready to strike the behemoth down to the cold ground. 

Mark struck the side of the house with his fist to get the man’s attention, leading him straight to him. The man fell for the noise and proceeded to where it came from. Mark could hear his feet crunching the grass as he approached. He saw the shadow get larger and larger coming his way. He smiled internally as he readied himself for a fight. It’s been a while, but he still had enough skill to take any man down. 

As the Tall Man rounded the corner, Mark lunged forward with a silence of a tiger. He reached as high as he could with his knife and slammed the blade into the man’s neck, knocking the tall man to the ground in a single blow. The Tall Man fell hard and buckled under his own weight letting out a yell in agony as Mark dug the knife as deep as he could get it, getting sprayed with blood in the process. No doubt the two others from inside were sprinting out to him right now, but Mark was too filled with blood lust to care. He watched as the color drained from Tall Man’s face, his weakening muscles failing him to retract Mark from atop of him. Mark reared back pulling the knife from his flesh before going forward again, and again, and again, repeatedly stabbing the man’s face, neck, and shoulders over and over until he lye motionless beneath him. All of this happened so fast Mark barely registered it happening. All he could think about was getting to Sean... Mark got off the fallen man, dropped his stained knife, and grabbed for the gun. All the while the other two had come outside to see the commotion. Both men were making their way over to him and he needed to react quickly before bullets rang above him.

Gaining his bearings, Mark raised the gun, aimed at the two of them, and shot once in their general direction. Both men stopped and ducked low avoiding the blast. Mark made his second move not giving these guys a single opportunity to move. He jolted up and ran. He ran as fast he could towards them, and shot again. This time the blast hit the other gunman, PJ, in his chest while Felix lost his balance and fell to the ground in surprise. He was still holding Sean’s bat in his hand as he landed on his back in a loud thud.

“You fucking bitch!” Felix yelled from the ground. “I’ll kill you!”

Mark ignored him and made his way over to the shit named PJ. Felix struggled to stand up with the look of shear dread on his face. Mark did not hesitate: he swung the butt of the gun towards the assailant’s face and struck a good blow to the man’s temple. A loud grunt was produced as the wind was knocked out of Felix. He fell to the ground again in a wave of nauseating dizziness. Mark came in for another blow and struck down on Felix’s head again and again without mercy; just like the first man. He did not stop until Felix’s head was a bloody pulp. It was over kill, but the pure adrenaline would not stop until Mark was finished. 

He then turned his attention back to PJ on the ground. Mark had ignored him completely and for a brief second wondered if he was aiming his gun at him while he was not looking. When Mark looked at him, PJ was lying still on his back, breathing shallowly. The poor man coughed up some blood and his hands were shaking violently. Mark approached him gingerly not taking any chances of being taken by surprise. PJ saw him coming and tried to make a noise, but just gurgled instead. Mark caught his breath as he stared down at the beast. Before any more exchanges could be had, Mark administered the same fate to PJ as he had his comrade just seconds ago.

No doubt Mark was drenched in blood and body goop, but he did not care. Once his deed was done, he sprinted back to the house through the front door. There on the living room floor, lay Sean. Mark’s heart stopped. Sean had some blood pooling from an open wound on the side of his head and he lay with his eyes closed. Mark knelt down quickly, grabbing Sean’s shoulders, turning him over onto his back. Mark placed his ear to Sean’s chest and stopped breathing to listen. 

There was a heartbeat.

Relieved, Mark sat up and pulled the younger man up with him. His body was as limp as a wet noodle. Mark did his best to sit him up and steadied him in his lap, trying not to cry. 

“Sean,” Mark said to him. Of course, there was no answer. “Sean. Come on, buddy. Wake up. Open your eyes for me, please.” Mark lightly tapped his cheek to try a shuffle him to consciousness again. Sean remained still. “Come on, dude. I need you to wake up. Wake up. Wake up!” Mark nearly shouted at the limp body in his arms. He still did not get a response. 

Mark sat him up higher nearly leaning his body forward and patted his back as hard as he dared. Sean’s body jolted under the blows, but still remained limp. Mark sighed and started to panic a slight bit. He tried again issuing harder blows to the man’s back with the flat of his palm. With still no response, Mark leaned Sean back again, turning his beaten face towards him. Cradling his head in one hand while shifting his knee for extra balance, Mark opened Sean’s mouth and peered into the void. He wanted to make sure his tongue was not blocking his air way. It was hard to tell, and just to make sure, Mark reached in with his fingers in desperation. He maneuvered the wet muscle away from the back of the throat before he pressed down on Sean’s gag reflex with the pads of his fingertips.  
Suddenly, that caused Sean to respond quickly. He gagged on Mark’s bloody fingers, coughing harshly. Mark removed his hand from Sean’s mouth and sat him up as best he could to help Sean cough it out. Sean leaned forward and coughed hard spitting the disgusting blood from his mouth onto the floor. Mark just sat in silence running his hand over Sean’s back, lightly patting the sore muscles.  
After a minute of two, Sean stopped coughing and just gathered spit in his mouth to rinse the foul taste of metal. He spit onto the floor some more before he turned in Mark’s direction. Mark did not say anything still. He just waited for Sean to gain his surroundings and come to terms with what just transpired. That is, if he could even remember.

“Mark?” Sean whispered. “What-where-?”

“We’re at the farm house,” Mark replied.

“I meant…them. Where-?”

“Dead. They can’t hurt us anymore. I took care of it,” Mark replied deadpan.

“I thought…fuck, I thought…” Sean could not help himself as he started to cry. 

Mark just wrapped his arms around the Irishman in a gentle hug against his chest. Tears were pricking his eyes too, and he started to quietly cry with Sean as the adrenaline subsided and the reality of the situation finally hit him. He really did not want to kill anyone today, but he felt as if the choice did not belong to him. His gut instinct told him the truth about those assholes; they were nasty people who were threatening his good friend. He could not allow that to happen. He could not allow assholes to get the better of them. 

“My head…hurts…” Sean said after he stopped crying. He just lied against Mark, not really caring about anything at the moment. His head was pounding from the blow earlier, splitting his skull in half the more it pulsed.

“I know. You’ll be okay. They knocked you pretty good, huh,” Mark tried to lightly joke about it and grinned slightly. 

“Wusses,” Sean tried to joke back after managing a weak smile in return. 

Mark nodded. “Okay. Wait here. I’ll get the bandages.”

Carefully, he shifted Sean off of his lap to sit him up against the couch. Sean reluctantly did and rolled his aching head to the side watching from the corner of his eye as Mark disappeared into the kitchen to get Sean’s pack. He returned shortly and knelt down before sitting crossed legged in front of him. He brought in a water bottle, bandages, and some gauze. 

Mark carefully went to work on his friend. He leaned in with the water bottle and tilted Sean’s head up to look at him. Sean’s head followed the movement as he had his eyes closed. Mark poured water over the open wound washing away the muck and blood before pressing gauze to the wound. Sean winced under the pressure but let Mark continue. Mark soaked up the remaining blood and removed the drenched cloth away. The blood was still coming out, but Mark came in again with a fresh piece of gauze. He pressed it over the damaged flesh and Sean’s hissed again through his teeth.

“Sorry,” Mark whispered.

“It’s fine,” Sean replied calmly. “Just hurry up.”

Mark nodded and worked quickly. He dressed the wound as best he could, covered it with a bandage, and washed the remaining dirt from the site. Hopefully, this will hold it over until they could make it home. It might end up infected. He did use enough peroxide to hopefully warrant off the possibility, but without proper stitching, Sean was at risk. 

Once Mark was finished, he put the items away back in Sean’s pack. He then returned to his friend and stood in front of him. 

“I’m going to help you stand and then we’re taking you to the bedroom,” Mark told him from above. Sean nodded in response and tried to use his arms to stand up. Mark was down instantly, helping Sean to his feet. Sean groaned at the movement and his eyesight became disorientated. Mark leaned his frame into him and wrapped his arm around Sean’s waist using every ounce of strength he had to lift him up. 

Together, the two men made their way down the small hallway and into the little bedroom. Mark shuffled them to the edge of the bed and set Sean down gently onto the mattress. The Irishman grunted in pain before he lifted his legs onto the bed. Mark helped. Once he was comfortable, Sean closed his eyes and tried to will away the immense pain in his head. There was a horrible pressure above his damaged eye, his blood pressure pounding suddenly. Mark just looked down at him, not sure of how to help any more. He turned to go when a hand wrapped around his wrist pulling him back slightly. Mark stopped and looked down at his friend.

“Mark…Thank you…” Sean said.

“Anytime, buddy. Now, get some rest,” Mark replied with smile and pat Sean’s hand with the other. 

“I’d be dead, if it weren’t for you…” Sean whispered. “You saved my life.”

“You’ve saved mine, too. It’s the least I could do,” Mark laughed a little. He then knelt so he was eye level with the man on the bed. “Actually, I never got a chance to thank you properly. It’s kind of why I wanted to get a cow in the first place. Consider it a gift to you for helping me. You took me into your home, you’ve bandaged me up in more ways than one, and I can’t think of the more perfect thank you than starting a farm for you.” Mark almost felt like crying again when he was done. Sean just watched him as he talked listening to every single word he said. 

There was silence for a bit before Mark stood again. He patted Sean’s hand one last time as he said, “Rest, now.” Sean nodded as best he could and watched as Mark exited the bedroom. He let his eyes close and reality slipped away from him quickly.


	9. Lucky Irishman

As the day wore on, Mark went outside to survey the damage he had done. The corpses hadn’t left the spots he killed them in. No scavengers, no zombies…it was very eerie. They were starting to stink and it might attract the undead if he wasn’t careful. He needed to get them away from the house. He and Sean may be here awhile, and plus, it gave him something to do while Sean slept his pain away.  
First and foremost, however, Mark needed to get his back pack from the barn. He had dropped it next to the side of the building and needed to fetch it. Mark walked over casually to the barn where he left it. He found the pack and placed it over his shoulders before returning it to the living room. He then turned his attention to the corpses. He didn’t give a shit if zombies found them and devoured them. But they wouldn’t do it at the house. He could burn them, but that would attract more people, no doubt. He was kind of at a loss. The best he could do would be to dispose of their bodies in the field behind the farm house. 

Mark gathered the bodies as best he could. He had searched behind the barn and found a rusty wheel barrel that he could use to transport the dead fuckers in. Luck would have it that a an axe just so happened to be back there as well buried under some tall, dry grass. With the axe in hand, Mark slaughtered the dead bodies, first taking their limbs off one by one until they were nothing but torsos. He took the biggest pieces of them first. He carefully loaded the pieces into the wheel barrel, rolling it over the rocky terrain until he was a good few hundred feet from the house itself. The sun was bright today with a couple clouds hanging around. It was not too hot today, though. 

Mark dumped the torsos into a big pile. He gagged at the smell and sight of the shredded muscle tissue, but kept his stomach at bay. After that, he repeated the process with the limbs of the dead bodies, but scattered them throughout the field far away from the house. He could see for a mile or so and couldn’t find any sign of trouble. He didn’t want to draw too much attention to himself, though, which is why he worked quickly. 

Mark also wanted to know where that cow had come from. It was the only one around. It probably wandered from a far off pasture, but where? Were there more? 

When he was done disposing of the corpses, Mark made his way back to the fallen cow. He didn’t know if the meat was still good enough to eat. It had been sitting under the sun for a few hours now; the meat was probably starved of nutrients and full of bacteria by now. Shit. The meat was no good. The cow was large as well and Mark had no idea how to get rid of it. He approached the beast and saw its flabby tongue hanging out the side of its mouth, eyes wide open. The guys had shot it right in the chest, piercing its lungs depriving it of air. The poor animal probably suffocated and drowned in its own blood. Mark couldn’t risk any food illnesses. They needed fresh meat. 

Mark cursed under his breath and walked away from the dead animal, too exhausted to move it. He should let nature take its course with this one.  
********  
For a while, Mark considered leaving Sean in search of more cows. He was back in the house now sipping from his water bottle. It had been a few hours, and Sean was still asleep. The sun was on the western horizon ready to settle down for the night. The twilight sky rested peacefully with blues, oranges, and yellows. The day had passed without further incident and Mark sat in thought of what to do. He couldn’t risk leaving Sean by himself. The man was too beaten to defend himself if he needed to. He was a resourceful person, but he was too injured. Mark just kept watch throughout the day wondering if searching the other cows was worth the risk. He decided not to, in fear of Sean waking without him there. 

Mark thought of their little homestead and how they were going to get back with Sean’s injuries. They couldn’t leave really until Sean was fully ready to go. Hopefully, he would be soon. They were sitting ducks here. Wherever those men had come from, what if there were more of them? What if they noticed their three buddies gone and decided to scout for them? If those guys did belong to a group, no doubt someone may be out looking for them right now. Luckily, that had shot guns now, but not much ammo. Before Mark had dumped their bodies in the field, he scoured through their pockets and found more bullets. There wasn’t much, but it would do until they could find a proper gun store. Mark had never really fired a gun before. The blast of the gun he got in at PJ was almost pure luck. He kind of just aimed and fired hoping to hit something. He did and it saved their lives

That’s when his stomach growled at the lack of food in it. He grabbed his pack from the ground and rummaged through it finding a can of beans. He popped the lid and started drinking the juicy substance chewing on the beans as they entered his mouth. He swallowed it greedily, not realizing how hungry he really was. He stopped when he ate half of the can already. He chewed noisily and breathed through his nose. The sun had finally set and the day was replaced by stars. Mark swallowed his food down and set the can on the floor. 

Sean still hadn’t made a move from the bedroom. Mark stood and walked to the room and opened the door to check on his friend. Sean was lying on his back still breathing softly. The sight of his sleeping companion made him yawn. It was very risky to sleep right now, but he couldn’t keep his eyes open any longer, he realized. The sun had set a long while ago, but in order to feel safer, Mark went to the living room and loaded the gun. He felt much better knowing that he had it by his side. Soon, the urge to sleep became too great and he relented. Not wanting to leave Sean by himself, he shuffled his way back into the bedroom. 

Mark stopped suddenly and realized his blankets were still out in the living room. But, did he care at this point? Did he really want to keep sleeping on the ground? No, he did not. Without another thought, Mark set the gun on safety, set it down on the floor at the foot of the bed, and climbed into the bed avoiding knocking into Sean as best he could. Sean did stir but he just turned his body away from the intrusion shifting to his side. Mark lay on his back and took a breath releasing it slowly. There was a simple blissful peace and comfort as he took in as much he could of the soft blankets below his aching body. His muscles thanked him for lying on a soft surface. He closed his eyes and attempted to fall asleep.

Before he could, he opened his eyes at some movement on the bed. He turned his head to see Sean turning back around in his sleep again, this time facing him directly. Mark felt him breathing on his ear, and then he felt something else. Mark tilted his head to look down at the feeling. Subconsciously, Sean had interlaced their fingers together in his right hand. Mark felt his heart jump slightly, but didn’t mind the gesture. Sean was asleep and was probably dreaming of his girlfriend, or something. In return, Mark just squeezed the hand back and closed his eyes again. Who was he to judge? Sean was just subconsciously asking for companionship and found comfort in hold hands. Not a big deal. 

Mark did, too.  
*********  
When Mark woke up the next morning, Sean was still next to him in the bed. He had not moved much since last night. He was still facing him, but their hands were no longer together. Mark rubbed his eyes and head as he sat up. He yawned and looked down at his friend who began to stir as well. Sean inhaled heavily and turned onto his back before opening his eyes.

“Morning,” Mark greeted him with a genuine smile.

“Ugh,” was Sean’s only reply. The events of yesterday, no doubt, were still evident in his voice. 

“How do you feel?” Mark asked gently.

“Like shit, still. How long was I asleep?” Sean asked in a groggy tone.

“About 12 hours. I took care of those fucking assholes while you were asleep.”

“What did you do with them?”

“You might throw up, if I told you.”

“Try me,” Sean countered as he struggled to sit up. Mark was there using his hands to leverage the man up. Sean winced in slight pain, but immediately regained control. 

“Let’s get you something to eat.”

“I need to piss first,” Sean stated as he set his legs on the floor. Mark watched as he tried to stand. He did very well and only faltered once, catching himself on the bed. Mark got out of bed, going to Sean’s side in case he needed to use him. Sean just smirked, grateful for the gesture. “Those assholes; glad they’re dead.”

Sean then walked out of the room with Mark in tow behind him. Sean carefully made his way to the bathroom and closed the door. Mark went to his pack and grabbed some food for Sean. He realized that his half eaten beans were still on the floor in front of the small chair. 

Sean came out of the bathroom sometime later and sat on the small couch next to Mark who handed him a can of beans. Sean graciously accepted it and began devouring its contents. Mark watched him for a second before he did the same to his already opened can. 

They sat in silence as they ate letting yesterday’s events sink in and swim in their minds. What’s done is done. They could not control what happened even if they started the day over again. Hopefully, it was just random chance that those three happened upon them. The thought of their comrades looking for them was a big worry on Mark’s mind, however. He knew they couldn’t stay in the farm house. The mission was compromised and it wasn’t worth risking their lives over a damn cow. As much as they needed the meat, there was always another time. The two of them needed to get going very soon.  
“Sean,” Mark broke the silence after he was done chewing and swallowed, “We can’t stay here.”

“I know. I was just thinking the same thing. They may not have been alone.”

“We should pack up and go as soon as possible.”

“What about the cows?”

“We’ll figure it out later. Yesterday was too close a call. I almost lost you. I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself if something happened to you.”

“I was worried they got you, too. When you jumped out the window, I tried to follow, but they were already in the house. I could not get out in time. I just hid in the closet. We all know how that turned out. But, I couldn’t risk them seeing you, too. I wanted them to believe I was alone so you could escape.”

“Shit, we think way too much alike, Sean. I had those thoughts exactly! I imagined it was me they found and you escaping.”

“Well, we’re both alive now, thanks to you. So, it doesn’t matter anymore.”

“I know. It’s just…I see that wound on you and I want it to be me. I felt like I abandoned you.”

“But, you didn’t. You came back for me. You killed those guys, and we’re here now. It’s done.”

“Sean –“

“I wasn’t going to rat you out, okay? I wanted you to survive, even if I didn’t. I wasn’t ready to die per say, but at the same time, I just imagined you getting away. I just accepted my fate as fact, you know? What was I supposed to do? They had a gun to my head! My own bat was threatening to bludgeon me! I guess I could’ve fought my way out, but what was the point? They were going to kill me anyway, find you, and – fuck!” Sean stood up and buried his head in his hands. He was shaken up and too angry to continue his rant. Mark just sat there and waited for him to finish. He needed this. He needed to get this off of his chest. He hated seeing Sean like this, but it was necessary. This whole zombie apocalypse was taking its toll in more ways than one. If ranting kept Sean sane, then so be it. He was right, anyway. The situation yesterday would’ve ended in tragedy for one of them if it didn’t work out the way it did. 

“Sean?” Mark called out to him quietly. Sean stopped pacing and turned to his friend.

Mark stood up and walked over to him. He placed his hands on his shoulders before drawing him into a brief hug to help calm him down. Sean shook underneath him and wiped his wet cheeks on Mark’s dirty shirt. 

“You’re my best friend, Mark. I need you to survive no matter what happens,” Sean said to him as he returned the hug. “Promise me, please, that you will make it through this thing.”

Mark knew it was pointless to promise this to him, or to anyone. Fate had a way of breaking promises. Mark wanted to oblige him though. He was in a fragile state right now after yesterday; he wasn’t in a good place or the right mind at the moment. Mark stroked Sean’s green locks before he broke away from him.

“I promise,” he simply told him. 

“And I promise, too,” Sean told him through glistening eyes. Sean then leaned forward and placed his forehead on Mark’s in a brotherly gesture. Mark felt his heart flutter.  
*************  
The two men were heading down the road away from the farm house some time later that morning. Sean had found his bandana wrap and put it back on his face. Mark had disposed of his bloody shirt before they left and found another in the old closet that fit him. Mark could not help but stare at Sean’s wound on his head. It bled through the bandage he managed to put on him yesterday, but it was now soaked. The only good things from this trip were the three guns from those assholes. The cow issue would have to wait right now. Before they left the farm, they checked the barn out as well to make sure there were not any animals in there. When they opened the door, they were only greeted with hay. No chickens, no horses, no goats; there was nothing. Hay, dust, crop tools, and nothing else incredibly useful was left in the barn to rot. The men shook their heads in disappointment as they walked away from the empty shed. 

Now they trudged back down the same road they arrived on. Mark carried all three guns. They were not terribly heavy. They were cumbersome and the way they clacked together when he walked started to get on his nerves. Mark and Sean ignored the noises as best they could, knowing their sanity was about to break. The worst may be coming yet; hell, it’s possible they’ve even started a war. They could not be sure, and neither of them wanted to talk about it. 

It was sometime later that Mark noticed Sean dipping his shoulder as he walked. They were very close to town, now. In fact, they were on the very outskirts of the village. Mark and Sean saw the stucco buildings, street lamps, and paved streets. Mark was concerned about Sean’s shoulder, however. It looked like it pained the poor man. Did he have an injury that Mark didn’t know about?  
“Sean?” Mark said from beside him.

“Yeah?” Sean replied not looking at him. Instead, he focused his attention on the streets ahead of them to ensure they were entering a safe zone. There was still no sign of other zombies yet. They must have really been hiding in the shadows, today. 

“What is wrong with your shoulder?” Mark inquired.

“Nothing. Why?” Sean asked him back. This time, he turned to the other man with his question.

“I just noticed it is dipping when you walk and you seem to wince when you walk. Is it injured?” Mark asked him with a serious tone.

Sean sighed. “No, I just have a twinge. I must have slept wrong, or something. It is nothing to worry about.”

“Hmph. Alright, then,” Mark replied and they both continued walking. 

Mark’s shoulder started to ache and he shifted the heavy guns over to his other shoulder. They clacked loudly and Mark grimaced at the noise. It was so quiet out here on the streets that they could hear their own footsteps and the gentle breeze through the leaves. They still had no idea what could be lurking inside these buildings, but they could not assume they were completely empty. They found a dead woman a few days ago hiding in the burnt shop. Who knows how many more were actually around. 

That’s when Mark pondered asking Sean what that was all about. He remembered it clear as day how Sean had the sheer determination to bludgeon that zombie. Did he just do it for practice? Was he bored? Mark will admit they didn’t talk much when they walked, but that was just to keep themselves focused on their surroundings. Mark knew he wasn’t the best at conversations, but still, it nagged his brain since the incident. 

“Hey, Sean.”

“I’m fine, Mark,” Sean replied curtly.

“No it’s not that. I wanted to ask, and feel free to not answer, but I was wondering, why did you ceremoniously kill that zombie lady the other day?”

Sean stopped in his tracks turning toward him. He had confusion on his face for a brief second as if not remembering what he was talking about. Mark was almost sorry he asked until Sean said, “She had to die. I felt sorry for her. Every zombie that I have ever killed, I’ve always felt sorry for. Their bodies just decaying like that, never feeling any pain, no emotion, nothing. They’re literally empty shells of their former selves. That is a typical metaphor, but it is actually true this time. To be honest, I hate them. I hate them because at times I’m jealous of that. But then, I’m brought back by how they decay and seeing that woman’s torso on top of her skinny legs…ugh. It made me shudder. I killed her because I wanted to end her suffering. I hate seeing that happen, but I hate that they are immortal in a weird way. I know that doesn’t make sense, but…ya know, if I ever become one of those things, and we’re still together, would you put me out of my misery?”

Mark did not answer right away. Sean was harvesting these feelings inside him and he felt like Sean just exposed his guts; his true feelings about this world. His love/hate relationship with death was fascinating. He seemed to love life, and took care of what he needed to to stay alive, but on the inside, he wishes he couldn’t feel? It was confusing, but brilliant at the same time. Mark never thought of it that way. He was so keen on living that he never even gave the zombies a second glance at what they were experiencing. Sure, they couldn’t feel pain, but to see their insides fall to pieces and to watch them wander around with no memory of their former selves…it was a blessing and a curse.

They were people, once. They were people who used to smile, who used to drive around town, who used to go on adventures. They rode on roller coasters, and ate ice cream, read books, shopped for clothes. All the delightful daily activities that Mark has taken for granted…they all used to do that as a society. And now…they were literally just walking masses of pus, gasses, gang green, and coagulated tar that was once blood collecting in their limbs and bubbled from their pores. No more pain, no more emotion, no more internal suffering…just outside suffering. 

Mark was so lost in his thoughts he forgot Sean asked him a question at the end of his monologue. “I don’t know…”

“You don’t know?” Sean tilted his head.

“…I don’t know if I’d be able to kill you. It would be difficult. We’ve gotten so close these last few weeks to the point where I call you my brother. I-I don’t know if I’m capable. I’d fuck it up, somehow, knowing me…would you do the same for me?”

Sean walked toward him, then and reached for the gun on his shoulder taking it from him. Mark shifted so the weight fell from his back. “If you wanted me to, brother,” Sean smiled at him as he hoisted the heavy thing onto his back. He slapped Mark’s shoulder once and turned around again to start walking. Mark followed suit ignoring the butterflies in his stomach.  
*******  
They turned down a street that was close to their home. The street was still quiet until they heard a moaning sound from behind a house. It did not sound human, nor did it sound like a zombie. In fact it sounded like a distressed animal. Together, both men proceeded towards the sound. They rounded a corner of a small village home. Mark grabbed the only gun on his back that was loaded and prepped it for any reason. 

At the same time, both Sean and Mark went around the edge of the decaying home and stopped at the sight. A huge smile passed over Sean’s features at what they saw. Mark smiled as well. In front of the two men was a cow. It was a large cow that had wandered far from its pasture. It must have been walking for a long time. It grunted at the two of them as it lied there with a very pregnant belly. It was lying against the fence to the other garden behind her. From what they could tell, this cow was about to give birth. Her vaginal opening was dilating and a blood sack started peering out.  
“You lucky Irishman,” Mark said from beside Sean. Sean just nodded his response and walked over to the mama. 

The cow groaned again when he got close. She was pushing with the strength she had and both Mark and Sean saw two hooves begin to emerge from her vaginal canal. Sean crouched to get a better look and turned back to Mark. 

“Know anything about calving?”

Mark giggled. “Nope. Reckon, I was born a city boy!”

“Well toughen up, city boy. I have a job for you! Get over here.”

“You’ve birthed cattle before?” Mark asked as he walked over and crouched down in front the behind.

“Not many times, but I’ve helped a few farmers here in town when I was younger. I needed some work experience, so I settled for farm hand as my first job before moving to the city. It was not so bad. The smell stuck with you all day and night and the labor was intense, but it was worth it, though. Now, what I want you to do is grab this hoof here and I’ll hold this one. When she starts to push, we start pulling. Got it?”

“Got it.”

“Good. We may be here a while, but this is what we wanted. I guess our trek was not so bad after all.”

“Why are you always so chipper after you travel through Hell?”

“Well, I had you, for starters. Second, I’ve always been an optimistic person. I am not in the mood to give up yet.”

The heifer moaned again pulling Mark from his thoughts at Sean’s words as she began pushing her infant out. At that moment, Sean and Mark simultaneously pulled the calf gently. The mother screamed loudly as they pulled and she bucked her hips upward. Mark jumped at the sudden movement. 

“Do not get spooked. Just keep pulling,” Sean said between clenched teeth. The smell of the sack was atrocious to their nostrils, but the two men persisted. There was dried feces stuck to her back side and the warm fluid that covered the calf steamed as it came further and further out of its mother. Mark did his best to ignore the gag at the back of his throat at the smell. He did as told re-gripping the baby’s hoof. He pulled it toward his chest to the point where he was leaning backward. The heifer let out a long groan at the movement.

“It’s okay, mama. You are doing great,” Sean said to her while clicking his tongue against his teeth. He was pulling as well helping the baby ease its way out. 

Slowly, but surely, this little baby was slipping out. After about ten minutes, the head finally emerged and was covered in a filmy goop that dripped onto their clothes. Neither of them cared as they continued to pull carefully. Soon, the mother gave one final push and the baby slid right out hitting the ground with a bashful thud. Its head fell into Sean’s lap while the placenta slipped out as well after it. 

Sean removed much of the goop with his finger away from the baby’s nostrils and tapped the side of the baby’s head to make sure it was alive. It lay limp in his arms. Mark reached in to help him remove the mucus from its head. 

“Is it alive?” Mark asked.

“I’m not sure. Hang on,” Sean replied with some concern in his voice. He moved his hand over the wet chest of the animal and held it still for just a brief second. 

Just then, the calf awoke from its daze swishing his head from side to side at the two men. Sean jumped a little at the movement and released the calf’s head as it turned to sit up. It was wobbly and shaking, completely disorientated by the surroundings. It blinked several times before grunting as it struggled to sit up on its own. Soon, its mother stood up causing the last few pieces of sack to fall the rest of the way off of her. A trail of heavy blood dangled from the canal. She turned to face her baby. Sean and Mark both stood from the ground to allow the mama to examine her beautiful baby. She nudged it, licked it, and bumped it in delight with her nose. The calf still struggled to sit up. It then gave up and just let out a small groan. 

Mark and Sean looked at each other then. Their arms were covered in juice and blood. They will need to bathe when they get home. 

“How are we going to do this?” Mark asked out of curiosity. 

“I’ll carry the baby. The mama should follow us naturally. She will need to take care of him for a while.”

“You sure it is a boy?” Mark asked.

“No, but we can look at the details later. You did well for your first time. Good job,” Sean clapped his shoulder splattering some juice on Mark’s shirt. 

“Well, city boys know a couple things,” Mark replied as he clapped Sean’s chest with his goopy hand. Some of the spray hit Sean’s chin. He buckled his face and pushed Mark lightly away from him.

“Ugh, God. Really?” Sean asked. Mark just laughed hard. Sean joined in and soon they were hugging each other in sheer joy. They got a cow!  
************  
Sean kept his promise and carried the calf back to the house. The poor thing would not be able to walk within its first few minutes of life. As flawless as the birth had gone, Sean insisted they get back to the house to avoid any trouble. Mark resumed carrying all three guns again and kept track of the mama as she followed to two men carrying her baby. Her hooves clipped on the pavement and echoed off the houses. The baby just grunted occasionally and struggled once when Sean went to hoist it in his arms and placed the animal behind his head. He had a good grip on the animal’s legs. That’s when they both noticed it was a boy. The journey home was uneventful, thank the gods. They made it to their back fence with ease, other than Sean’s shoulder aching. 

“Mark, open the gate, please,” Sean instructed. Mark complied and opened the door as wide as he could. Sean stepped into the yard and clicked his tongue against the sides of his teeth to usher the mama to follow him. She did so with no complaint. 

After all of them had entered the yard, Mark shut and locked the door behind all of them. Sean led the mama toward the garden of the veggies they had made and placed the baby on the ground gently. Mark was behind Sean instantly to help. Mark grabbed the underside of the calf’s belly and used it to slide the baby gently to the ground behind Sean. Mama joined her baby and proceeded to lick him clean. The baby snorted and shook his ears, while licking its chops. Sean stood back hands on his hips sniffling. Mark wiped his forehead with his fingers. The day had turned into mid-afternoon at this time and both men were exhausted from the journey they just took. 

“We still have work to do, Sean,” Mark said beside him.

“I know. We have to do a perimeter check, check the water basin, check the plants, and now we have to find a way to take care of these two. Shit. I can build them a shed to sleep in. Maybe if we could find some hay bales soon. Mama needs to eat.”

“Want to call her that?” Mark asked him.

“What, ‘Mama’? Sure, why not. Seems fitting.”

“What should we call the little guy?”

Sean pondered a minute then blurted, “Sam."

“’Sam’?”

“I have always liked that name. What would you call him?”

“I don’t know. Tim, I guess?”

Sean burst out laughing. “We are calling him Sam. End of story. Better than ‘Tim’.” Sean turned and walked into the house to grab the supplies they needed.

Mark rolled his eyes, but couldn’t suppress a giggle at the ridiculousness as well. “Pfft, whatever. Tim is a cool name.”


	10. A Kiss on the Hand

The day wore on as the two men worked around the yard and in the house. Sean over did it on the building a shed deal for the cattle. He only managed to get one wall made before his shoulder gave out on him. He did not say anything to Mark in fear the man would force him to quit working. He just gave up on the project after setting up the one wall. He would work on a roof and the other wall tomorrow. Meanwhile, Mark had checked the fence taking care of any loose boards, rusty nails, and any other weak spots he could find. There was not much to fix, which was great for them. The boarder was holding up really well. Mark also checked on the water basin, the tubing, and the garden itself. The plants were growing well, the tubing did not have any leaks, and the basin was well sealed keeping the collected rain water where it needed to be. There was not much collected in there right now due to the lack of rain the last few days, but in time, it will be a great water source. Plus, they still had running water in the house. For how much longer, he was unsure, but they would figure out something. 

After Mark was through checking everything that had been neglected the last few days, he went to find Sean. He was tending to Mama prodding her utters, checking her vaginal canal. He even brought up a big bucket from the basement, filled it with water from the house, and put it out for them to drink. Mama gladly sipped the cooling liquid. She did look dehydrated as well as malnourished. It was amazing she survived this long on her own. She probably wandered for a long time and didn’t have much water on her travels. Feasting on grass was not enough when you’re a big three hundred pound heifer carrying a baby. Yet, she somehow managed. It was a miracle to say the least. Sam was lucky to have survived at all. 

Twilight started to set as Mark approached the three of them. Sean turned his head to him and smiled.

“You know, now that they are here, I’m not sure that I want to slaughter them,” he said tenderly as he stroked Mama’s neck. 

Mark nodded at him in agreement as he stared at Mama’s eyes. She still had her head dipped into the bucket getting her fill of water. Sam was just staring at nothing. Poor guy was probably still confused about where he was. He blinked his eyes, groaning softly. 

“We don’t have to think or talk about it right now. Come on. Let us go in and get some rest. We’re going to need our strength for the watches,” Mark told him gently.

Sean nodded his head and pat Mama one last time before him and Mark disappeared into the dark house. Sean had pulled his lamp from his pack letting it emit a soft glow into the living room illuminating the fireplace. 

“Should we light it tonight?” Mark piped up.

“No. We should wait. We have not been here in a couple days. Who knows if someone’s around snooping. Plus, if…if they ever found out where we live…” Sean couldn’t finish his sentence. Mark knew exactly what he was talking about and had the same growing fear since they left the farm. Again, they didn’t want to talk about it, but the threat of those people finding them again would be catastrophic. “We can’t let them find us, Mark. We can’t.”

“I know. I know,” Mark reassured his friend. Sean sounded like he was about to panic. “ They will never know where we are.”

They walked over to the stairs and made their way up into the hallway. Mark walked into his bedroom and closed the door while Sean did the same. Mark stripped his body of his dingy, dirty clothes. They were covered in blood, mucus, sweat, and gods know what else. He needed to shower. Then, a thought hit him at that moment. Mark thought back to when Sean first offered for them to shower together to save water. He was way more comfortable with him, now. They had grown so close since they first met. Sure it was a rocky start, but Mark and the Irishman really clicked after that. They’ve been through so much. And lately, his heart was a flutter whenever Sean got close to him. He couldn’t really place the feelings at the moment…but then again, maybe he was dealing emotions he couldn’t comprehend right now. Either way, he needed to shower and they needed to reserve water. He made up his mind in that moment. Mark turned back to the door walking out into the hallway and strolled up to the door. Sean had already gone into the bathroom before him. Mark wrapped a used towel from his room around his waist and knocked on the bathroom door lightly. 

“Yeah,” Sean called from the other side. “Come in.”  
Mark took a breath before entering. He found Sean shirtless with a towel wrapped around his own waist as well looking at his reflection in the mirror. He saw Mark’s reflection behind him and greeted him with his eyes.   
“What’s up?” Sean asked him.  
“Want to shower together to save water?” Mark asked lightly. He did his best to hide his nerves at the sight of his friend, naked standing before him. He clenched his jaw and remained calm.  
Sean stood and turned to the American then. “Are you sure?”  
“Don’t make me over think things; yes or no.”  
“Yeah, sure,” Sean said with a light smile.   
Mark nodded curtly before removing his towel and the bandage on his hand. He was now completely naked. Sean did the same and stepped over the lip of the tub turning on the water dropping his towel onto the toilet lid. Mark followed in behind him careful to avoid contact. Once the temperature was in a good place, Sean pulled the lever on the faucet. He closed the curtain around them to prevent the water from splashing out. Mark did his best to look anywhere that was not Sean. This was not so bad, but he still felt slightly embarrassed. He was not sure why, either. Although, his heart was pounding again. Mark did his best to ignore it.   
Sean stood under the spray closing his eyes as the warm water flowed over his face and shoulders. He opened his mouth to drink the hot liquid and spit it out again. Mark watched slightly fascinated. He was not turned on, or anything. But his voyeuristic nature took over. He still refused to look past Sean’s chest, though. This was just a simple shower; nothing more. 

Sean opened his eyes at him and wiped the water from his face. Mark noticed him walking towards him to give him time to spray himself. Mark turned his body so nothing weird touched as they passed each other and stepped under the water. It felt so good. He got lost in the feeling while Sean lathered his hair behind him. Again, out of curiosity, Mark looked over his shoulder at the skinny man watching the soap fall down his back off his lacy green threads. He turned back around again when Sean pivoted in his direction. He did not want to get caught staring for no reason. He did not want to be creepy. He resumed wetting his black locks and rinsed the muck off of his body. Mark looked down watching the black goo swirl down the drain. Some of the soap from Sean’s body mixed with it from behind him.

“Mark, can I –“

“Oh yeah, sorry. Got lost in thought,” he blurted out nervously before stepping to the side to let Sean slide past him under the spray.

“You know,” Sean giggled loudly and could not help but tease the man by saying, “You’re cute when you blush.”

“Shut up,” Mark answered trying to hide his amusement and face. “I’m not blushing.”

“Pfft. You could have fooled me, brother. Your face is redder than a tomato,” Sean said as he looked back at the man. He rinsed the suds to the bottom of the tub running his fingers all over his skin to ensure every bubble was gone. Mark kept his eyes closed as he worked his own body with the lather. He started with his hair then eventually he moved down his chest, to his privates, then his legs. The icky tar-like crud turned the soap black and red. He looked like he was covered in mud; he felt so gross. 

“Your hand looks better,” Sean stated out of nowhere. 

Mark stopped his movements pulling his injured hand in his line of vision. He studied the back of his hand and noticed the burns were scarred over. He had almost forgotten about the injury considering the weird couple days they just had. His bandage really held strong the entire time. 

“It feels better, too,” Mark replied going back to lathering his legs and feet. Once he finished, Mark stood straight again and closed his eyes as he realized his line of sight was viewing something he didn’t want to be disrespectful about. 

Sean didn’t seem to notice and finished rinsing his own body off. “I’m done. It’s all yours.”

With that, Sean opened the curtain and stepped out into the bathroom, closing the drape behind him. Mark opening his eyes after Sean had left. He paused for a second looking at Sean’s silhouette behind the white curtain drying his hair. Mark stepped under the spray of the water using his hands to wipe at his limbs to wash the soap away from him, the muddy substance pooling at his feet. He ran his fingers over his hair, over his shoulders, armpits, and torso. When Mark was all done, he pushed the lever down stopping the flow from the shower head. He pressed the handle into the wall silencing the water completely. Only drips could be heard echoing off the tiled walls. Steam filled the room and Sean was at the sink now shaving his face. Mark reached out from the curtain to find his towel on the toilet bowl. He grabbed the fabric quickly pulling it into the shower stall. He patted down his arms and legs first before moving to dry off his hair. 

“Actually, that wasn’t so bad,” Mark mumbled to himself. 

“What was that?” Sean called from behind the curtain.

“Oh, um, I said that actually was not bad,” Mark repeated a bit louder this time.

“I agree. I’m sorry if you felt uncomfortable, but have you noticed the shower time went quicker?” 

“Yeah. I mean, we do not have to do this all the time, though. We can just reduce our time to a quick lather, rinse and then out. We don’t need to shower together again.”

“True. Like I said a while ago, it was only a suggestion. But I’m glad you are open to it…” 

Mark raised an eyebrow at that statement, but brushed it off as he was done drying himself. He stepped out of the tub, wrapping the wet towel around his waist again to hide himself. He caught Sean staring at him as he exited the tub and Sean cleared his throat a little. Sean went back to studying his face after his shave. Mark went past him into his own bedroom to get dressed. The night air was so cold that he wanted to get back into the bathroom to stay warm. The steam trailed and died as soon as he got to the bedroom, goosebumps rising on his skin as he entered. He quickly sought out his pack and found another shirt to wear. It was really dingy. He couldn’t remember the last time he had washed his clothes. Begrudgingly, he scraped through all his clothes and found that every single one of them stunk horribly. He turned his nose up at each armpit, at each crotch sniff. Mark was almost ashamed that he didn’t realize how he really must have smelled. 

That’s when an idea popped in his head to not only wash their clothes tomorrow, but to also possibly go shopping, if they could. They needed to check on their food supplies anyway. He knew they were close to another run. Although…after all they had just been through, though, it may be best if Mark went alone to pick up clothes. Sean was badly beaten and his shoulder was still giving him trouble. He didn’t need to be out and about just yet, unless he really needed to be.

“Sean?” Mark called from the bedroom.

“Yeah?” Sean replied sharply from the bathroom.

“Can I borrow a pair of clothes?”

“Yeah, dude. Check the closet in there. There should be more than enough in there for you.”

Mark nodded to himself and strode over to the closet. He pulled the door back only to find a dress, a skirt, and a white tee shirt. The other clothes were in a musty pile on the floor covered in dust. Mark grabbed the tee from its hangar and slipped it on over his head. He still needed some pants, or something. He bent low pawing his way through the pile of clothes hoping to find something comfortable that could fit. Since this whole ordeal, he hasn’t gained much weight. His body size changed to a leaner look, even though he was malnourished. He must have lost at least twenty pounds since this whole thing started just a few months ago. He tried to keep himself well fed with canned veggies, fruit, and beans that he could scavenge. All the traveling did not help his situation. His body was strong, but it would not hold out forever without the proper nutrition. And Sean’s body was even skinnier than his. Granted, he was a smaller guy to begin with, but still. His body was suffering like Mark’s was. Now, he was really glad that they found the cow and her calf. It was going to be hard to kill them for food, but it was necessary for their survival. 

This whole trip back to their house was almost a total loss. They both almost ended up getting killed by three gun wielding bandits, the farm was empty, and Sean got hurt badly. A sudden pit of sorrow brewed in Mark’s belly and he could not help but release a tear at the memories of yesterday. The way they almost killed the both of them, how Sean really cared about him, his lucky Irish self; damn, it was just all too much at once. This whole trip was supposed to be about Mark repaying Sean for his kindness and, once again, he felt he lead his only friend into danger. This is the second time he almost got his friend killed by accident, and damn it, he cannot let it happen again! Yesterday was the last straw. He would go out, get the supplies they needed, and he would do it alone so Sean could stay alive. He cared that much about the man. 

“Mark?” Sean piped up from behind him in the doorway. 

Mark did not realize he was full blown crying. He was sobbing so loud, it had gotten Sean’s attention from the bathroom causing him to enter the bedroom. Sean found Mark hunched over the rotten pile of clothes in the closet. He had the shirt on and a pair of his old shorts from his pack. Mark held his face in his hand crying into his palm. Sean approached from behind him carefully not wanting to startle the distraught man. Sean was soon standing above him, watching his shoulders shake with each sob. Slowly, he sat down behind him crossing his legs. He just waited before reaching a hand out to smooth his palm over Mark’s back in a comforting gesture. 

Mark jumped a little at the contact, but he allowed it. 

“I’m so sorry, Sean,” Mark finally said after he regained a breath. “I’m sorry for everything. I am sorry that I got you into that situation. I should have gone alone. I should not have left you. I should have let you gone out that window first! I-I just wasn’t thinking, you know? And I – after the whole thing, I promised you I would make it out; that I would survive, and I feel guilty because…I can’t keep promises very well. I always fuck things up somehow!”

“Mark, stop saying that you are a fuck up, please.”

“You barely know me!” Mark roared at him. It startled Sean to pull his hand back from his shoulder and he scooted a bit further away from Mark. The American realized what he had done and immediate regret washed over him. “You don’t know me. And I-I don’t know you, but I care about you so much. All I wanted to do was bring back a fucking cow so we could live better lives. And I know we’ve become very close, but a part of me is still weary about you and I feel so bad about it. I feel like it’s a huge secret I’ve been keeping. I feel bad that you’re my brother and I still….”

“Don’t trust me?” Sean finished for him.

Mark could not form words. He was so angry with himself for bringing this up. He was digging himself into a grave. Who knows if Sean would want to stay together after this, now. He started pouring his guilty heart out to the Irishman. After what they have been through…why was he feeling guilty now? It’s because he wanted to check that damn room when they got to the farm house. He didn’t fully trust Sean to have done a good job. He was also defensive about the basement as well; that one day a week or so ago when he smelled something rotten in coming from down there, and he found Sean emerging from the door of the hidden part of the basement. He never thought of that incident until now. He felt guilty for not trusting Sean to return from his campsite when he sent him to go fetch his provisions. Then his hand ordeal and Sean had to baby him made him feel even worse about himself. Damn it! All of this nonsense and…he really cared about him. Even though they barely knew each other. Yet here he was being protective and caring at the same time... like he… His brain was so confused…his emotions were so confused…he couldn’t think straight period! He could go on and on about this in his head, but Sean was waiting there patiently for an answer. 

Mark simply nodded not looking at him trying to hide his anguish. “I’m sorry…”

“Mark,” Sean said quietly as he came back over to Mark again, “Look at me.”

Mark did. His eyes and face were red. 

“You’re just tired and confused, right now. You’re tired of all this shit. I get it. I’ve said it before and I will say it again until it gets through your stubborn skull: I understand. I will tell you every time no matter how many times that I have to, that we are okay. Please believe me when I say that you are not a fuck up. You came through for me. You could have left me to die in that house, right? You could have left me to die, or get kidnapped. You could have. You didn’t, though. You came back. There is trust in there for me somewhere or else you would not have come back to help me. I meant every word I said, Mark. I want you to survive this as long as possible. I will, too. You’ve given me a new determination to keep going. I love you for that, man. Truly, I do. You’ve been the closest human being that I can trust with my life! Why would I want to tarnish that all because I have to take care of you? Shit happens.”

Mark was speechless as Sean finished. They just stared at each other listening to the breathing and sniffling as it filled the quiet room. This was their reality, now. This was their life. Mark hated it. Mark hated every bit of it. He wanted the world to go back to normal. He wanted his family back, he wanted his friends back, and he wanted the nightmares to stop. He wished he was back home in Los Angeles gaping at the ocean, holding Amy’s hand as they’d walk on the beach. He wanted to hug his mom; he wanted to kiss his dad. Mark wanted to slap his brother on the back playfully like they used to when they were children. He wanted to take Sean with him. He wanted to take this wonderful respectable man to meet everyone. After all they’ve been through, as much as Mark hated this life, he couldn’t help but be extremely grateful for this new friend he found in the Irishman. 

Mark was pulled from his despair when he felt Sean cup his face and place his forehead to his own. He didn’t realize Sean had crawled over to him again and was kneeling in front of his legs. Mark shut his eyes and just sat there focusing on the intimate touch not wanting to move. The touch was welcoming…kind…warm…peaceful. He realized just how much he missed being touched his heart ached in his chest. He thought about Amy, again. He was imagining her gorgeous smile and long blonde hair billowing around her face. She used to cup his face and pull him in for a kiss just like this. Her hands were soft, welcoming, and so full of love that he couldn’t help but kiss her palm whenever she was this close to him cupping his cheek. Mark lost himself in the memory as he leaned his head into the hand on his cheek and without thinking he puckered his lips and pecked the inside of Sean’s palm. He opened his eyes after that to look at the man to gain his reaction after he realized what he had just done. Shit. He was thinking about his girlfriend and he just kissed a man instead. Fuck. He met Sean’s blue eyes with his own brown eyes. He expected shock; he expected Sean to immediately pull away, or to get slapped in the face. Nothing happened. In fact Sean simply smiled at him before patting his cheek with his fingers gently as he leaned back retracting his hand back into his lap.

“I…don’t know what came over me…” Mark murmured feeling embarrassed. “I-I didn’t mean to – shit. I’m sorry.” Tears were threatening his eyes again. He didn’t think his skin could take any more abuse from crying so much. His cheeks were tender from rubbing them so much. 

“No worries, dude. I could tell that wasn’t for me,” Sean replied calmly. 

“I was thinking about Amy. I miss her. I miss my family. I hate what this world has become. But I’m glad I have you to share it with,” Mark said. 

Sean snickered. “I was going to say no need to get weird, but we’ve crossed that line already.”

They both laughed at that changing the atmosphere of the situation going from serious to light hearted. 

“Listen……I’m sorry I was an idiot…I do trust you…I really do…I was just…I don’t know…,” Mark looked away embarrassed again. His heart wouldn’t stop pounding, either, Sean’s blue eyes so close to his, his soft touch on his cheek…it was overwhelming. God, what was wrong with him all of a sudden?

“Nothing to be ashamed of, Mark. It’s all good. Believe me,” Sean said gently as he brushed fingers through Mark’s hair, noticing the slight shiver. He smiled at him before releasing him. “Come on. You should go to bed. I’ll watch, first,” Sean stated as he stood up from the floor.

“Are you sure? You are feeling okay enough to do that?” Mark asked inquisitively. 

“Yeah, of course.” 

Mark nodded at him before he stood up too. He sniffed and wiped his cheeks again to remove the wet tears from his face. He then walked over to the bed with Sean walking quietly behind him. Mark sat on the bed and yawned. Sean flicked the light switch on the wall as he exited the bedroom, closing the door behind him. Mark laid down on the bed sighing to himself. He couldn’t believe he had another outburst like that. He needed to keep it together if only for Sean and his own survival. This is the world he lived in now. It was full of paranoia, weaknesses, raw emotions, and death. He needed to stay strong for both of them. Tomorrow, he was determined to go shopping and get what they needed. He would prove to Sean that he could be a gracious guest and a good friend. But, he was done putting Sean in harm’s way. He would go alone.


	11. Who is She?

Mark had trouble sleeping during Sean’s shift. It took him at least an hour or so before his brain decided he could sleep. Even then, he’d wake up every twenty minutes or so cursing the lack of rest his body needed. His brain was full of scenarios about his decision to go out on his own. He was thinking about what he could’ve done if he ran into trouble. He imagined himself getting backed into a corner by another threatening survivor; he came up with excuses in his head about what to say to get out of a certain situation, and so forth. He also thought about which weapons to take with him. Did he want to stick with what he had, or did he want to take the shotgun? Was it worth traveling heavy, or light? Any issue at all flooded his brain and produced anxiety. It was still night time out as he cracked his eyes open, looking at the window. With no luck getting back to sleep, Mark sat up and shuffled his way lazily out of bed. He went into the bathroom to relieve himself. 

Mark soon headed down the stairs into the living room noticing that Sean was not on the couch, or even in the room.

“Sean? Where are you?” Mark called out softly as he looked around the room and into the kitchen. There was no sign of Sean anywhere. There was no response either. Mark’s blood ran cold when he was left in silence. He strutted into the living area, quickly peeking out the back window to see if Sean was outside, maybe. He only saw Mama and Sam snuggled together in the corner of one side of the fence sleeping the night away. He felt a bit envious. 

Then, Mark heard thumping sounds. He looked over to where the basement door was before stepping over to it. The door itself was closed, but Mark definitely heard the thumping coming from inside just down the stairs. It was a quiet thumping, but it sparked his anxiety. Mark carefully opened the door and peeked into the dark recess of the cold dwelling. The thumping continued so where off in the darkness and… he could’ve sworn he heard whispers as well. Mark widened his eyes at the possibility of an intruder being in the house. Sean was probably upstairs sleeping and just didn’t want to bother him, or something. Mark swallowed the thick lump in his throat before he ran into the kitchen to grab the flashlight and a knife from the drawer. Who or whatever was down there better had said their prayers. He didn’t want to kill anyone anymore, but he was ready just in case. 

Carefully and as quietly as he could, Mark crept down the stairs with easy stealth. The boards creaked a little under his weight, but he remained as quiet as a ninja. The basement was just as dense as it was dark. With each step, the putrid smell got heavier and heavier the further he descended the stairs. Something definitely died down here, and neither of the men had taken care of it. Sean told him he would, but he never did. Where the fuck was it coming from? 

Mark showed the flashlight around the darkness hitting boxes and sheets around him. He placed his shirt over his nose as the stench got thicker. He followed the ghastly smell until he came to the door in the back of the basement; the same door Sean had emerged from the first time he was down here. He didn’t know why he never went back here. It was probably because he wanted to respect Sean’s house. 

But Mark held his breath as he got closer to the door. As clear as day, he could make out the muffled voice of someone lurking behind the door. He listened carefully trying to make out what was being said. With as much ease as he could muster, he placed an ear right on the cold wood and listened. 

“…don’t do that…he could hear…I know he doesn’t, but…I can’t let him…important…trusts me…he wouldn’t…”

Mark froze, holding his breath.

It was Sean’s voice. 

And…Sean was either talking to himself… or someone in there. Mark relaxed and let out his breath slowly. A part of him was relieved, but the other part of him was confused…who was he talking to? Was he hiding someone this whole time? And if so…why? Truth be told, Mark had suspected it from the beginning when he acted weird the first time Mark found him down here. But now, he needed to know what his secret was. He had told Sean about every one of his fears and worries. Why was Sean hiding from him, now? More importantly, who or what was Sean hiding from him? There was only one way to find out.

Mark stood rigid as he grasped the handle of the door. He turned the knob slowly and pulled the door open shuddering at the awful creaking sounds.

“What the hell?” Mark heard Sean call out softly. By this time, Mark had fully opened the door, bringing the flashlight up in the direction of Sean’s voice. 

“Sean, what are you-“ Mark cut himself off at what he saw. His eyes widened.

Sean was standing on his feet with his hand outstretched holding a knife towards him. That’s not what surprised Mark, however. Mark was more interested in the…thing sitting on the floor. Mark craned his head to the side to get a better view of it. Behind Sean sitting on the floor, was a woman. She was gagged with a cloth over her mouth and from the looks of it her hands were bound at the wrists. She didn’t acknowledge Mark when he opened the door, nor did she flinch when the beam of the flashlight hit her face. She just sat there, blankly staring at nothing. Mark also noticed that her skin was a sickly greenish-gray that was flaking above her sunken eye sockets. Mark’s heart stopped as he looked from her to Sean.

Sean was breathing hard and shaking almost uncontrollably. His mouth was agape as if he wanted to speak, but didn’t have the right words to say. He just stared at Mark in horror ready to strike his friend if he got any closer. 

That’s when Mark realized that Sean was protecting her. Sean was housing a zombie bastard in his basement.

He had so many questions, but now was not the time. He would ask only one just to gauge Sean’s mental state. He obviously kept her alive for a reason, so Mark concluded that she was close to him somehow. Was this woman his…? If Mark’s inner theories were right, why was Sean able to kill his own family, but not his…

“What’s her name?” Mark asked calmly as a bead of sweat ran down his forehead. He also lifted his hands in a surrendering gesture to indicate that he was calm and willing to chat. He didn’t want to attack her, but Sean was on the defense. He looked like he was about to rip Mark’s head off if he even thought of approaching them. 

“You stay away from her!” Sean barked at him. “Don’t touch her!”

“Sean, I promise. I won’t touch her. I just want to know her name. I didn’t mean to interrupt and we can talk later. I just want to know her name.”

“If you come near her, I swear to God-“ he shouted making Mark flinch. Sean’s eyes were fully blown wide, his brown lowered and his teeth bared, like a wild animal about to attack. Mark swallowed a lump in his throat.

“Sean! I swear! I will not hurt her!” Mark shouted back, taken aback. His heart pounded painfully in his chest. He wondered if he could gain Sean’s trust again by just leaving. Sean was in no mood to talk right now. That was very clear. Mark had no other choice. If they both were going to make it out of this intact, Mark decided leaving them alone would be the best move.

“Then get out! Leave us alone!” Sean yelled.

“Okay, I’ll go. Come talk to me when you’re ready,” Mark spoke as he nodded his head. “I’m sorry.”

Mark made a hasty retreat and closed the door behind him. He caught his breath, releasing his death grip on the knife in his hand. He didn’t realize that he was sweating until a trickle of it hit the top of his brow. He reached up to wipe it away with the back of his hand. Not wanting to push his luck, Mark made his way back to the stair case and went back upstairs. He was still confused, but he didn’t want to push his friend in his current condition. Plus, Mark could clearly see that she was not a danger to either of them at the moment. She was bound and gagged. Sean was more than capable of handling himself, so Mark did not have to worry about that. He was just confused right now. How come Sean hid this from him? Maybe, if they had talked about it before, Sean would’ve been more inclined to trust him. Then again, Mark had his own trust issues, so in a way, Mark didn’t blame Sean; especially since he was harboring a dangerous creature. Maybe Sean just didn’t have it in him to dispose of her because she was the final strand holding his sanity together. Sean did have to kill his own family, after all. Maybe this woman was his ticket to sanity again in some fucked up way. Even though she was already dead – which was clear by the smell – she was Sean’s muse. Or, she used to be, anyway. 

Mark made it up into the living room and noticed from the window that the light was a hazy blue outside which meant dawn was approaching. He closed the door behind him. A sudden urge to vomit hit his stomach and he lunged for the sink in the kitchen quickly. The stench of decay murdered his insides and nostrils, catching in his throat causing him to gag. He didn’t have anything in his stomach to puke up, so it was just dry heaving and some yellow bile alongside it. Mark heaved until his chest hurt as he threw up into the sink. When he was done, he rinsed the putrid liquid down the drain and cursed himself for wasting water like that. It was just an old habit, he supposed. He used some water to rinse his mouth out as well. 

Mark sauntered over to the couch and collapsed on the cushions deep in thought about their situation. They were – well, Sean was – hosting an actual zombie in the house. He didn’t quite know how to feel about it. He was not angry at all, but he was just…still confused. He also felt a bit hurt and guilty for not trying to understand hard enough. After a while, Mark reasoned with himself that only Sean could explain. This was not up to Mark to analyze, or judge him. He cared so much about Sean that whatever was going through his head, he needed to understand if they were going to cooperate together. Mark was no threat to her…hopefully Sean will understand that…because it’s the truth.

With that thought in his head, Mark set the flashlight down on the table and rested his head on his arm. He nodded off feeling exhausted.

*********

He was soon awakened by the basement door closing. Mark jolted at the noise and quickly looked around him. He caught the glimpse of Sean walking up the stairs completely ignoring his presence. He didn’t bother calling out, or follow him. Sean was still in a foul mood and Mark did not want to press. Sean would come around on his own time. He was patient.

With a yawn instead, Mark walked into the kitchen and started making breakfast. He ignored the waft of the decay smell that the swish of the door from the basement produced. Upstairs he could hear Sean walking around in his room. He was probably changing and getting rid of that damned stench. The sun had come up already and a yellow light filtered in from the window into the living space and the kitchen. Mark smiled to himself loving the warmth that filled the room. 

He let the oatmeal simmer until it was hot and ready. In the meantime, he checked the cabinets. They were, indeed, low on food. He would need to make his run sometime today if he could. After what happened last night, he wondered if Sean may have needed a break from him. If so, this would be a good time -and excuse- to go out on his own, without putting his friend in danger. 

Mark poured the food into two bowls and set them on the table. Above him he heard Sean move closer to the stairs. The floor boards creaked until they were at the top of the steps. Mark took a breath as he sat at the table watching from the corner of his eye as Sean came down into the living room. He didn’t look up at Mark as if he felt ashamed. He acted like a scolded child. Mark couldn’t blame him, though. Instead of engaging in conversation, Mark silently ate his own food. He was ready to talk, whenever Sean was ready.  
Sean sat at the table and finally looked at him. Mark perked up at that and smirked at him. Sean acknowledged him before putting a spoonful into his mouth. He chewed slowly, not seeming very hungry. Maybe they should talk about what happened this morning soon. Mark didn’t want Sean to feel ashamed, or depressed about it.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Mark questioned softly after he swallowed a mouthful.

Sean just looked at him and continued to chew. Mark couldn’t really make out what he was thinking at the moment. He just saw apathy in Sean’s eyes. His silence spoke for him, though. 

“Look, Sean,” Mark started because fuck it. There was never going to be an easy way of dealing with this. “About what happened this morning. I have no doubt in my head that she means something very dear to you, or else you wouldn’t have been keeping her here. And I promise, I will not go near her, or touch her. I was just confused, that’s all. I did not mean to startle you, or her. I just wanted to check on you and see where you went when I couldn’t find you upstairs. I heard the thumping sounds from the basement and got curious. It’s not your fault I found her. I was being quiet deliberately so I could search for where the sound came from. Then, the smell hit me and I followed it to that back room. It’s gotten worse since we’ve been here. I just wanted to see what it was and maybe….never mind. When I found you both, I knew I looked bad with that knife in my hand. I’m sorry –“

“You would have killed her if I wasn’t there, wouldn’t you,” Sean stated the sentence deadpan when he interrupted Mark mid-sentence. There was no inflection. He told the blunt truth. Mark closed his mouth and took a breath trying to formulate a careful answer. 

In Mark’s mind, he came to the conclusion that yes, he would have killed her. She was just another zombie to him. In his defense, he would not have known who she was to Sean, or why she was important because Sean kept this from him. On the other hand, this was still Sean’s home and he had no right to snoop without permission. 

“Answer me,” Sean growled.

“I – yes. B-but it would be because I don’t know her like you do,” Mark quickly stated in one breath. He saw the danger in Sean’s eyes and thought of something to add. “She’s lucky to have you to protect her, Sean.”

Sean stared at him coldly. He probably just fucked up, again, by saying that. 

They sat in silence for a time until Mark tried breaking the tension, “So, uh…what is her name?”

He asked the same question from earlier hoping that it would disengage Sean from his current temperament. If Mark wanted to regain his trust again, he should treat her as if she is still alive. They both knew what the real truth is, though. They both know she is dead. However, Mark did not want to give up his own luck for the sake of their friendship. He’d grown so close to the man these past few months that they almost needed each other…that Mark needed him. Mark wouldn’t know what to do with himself if he were on his own at this point. They kept each other alive and healthy. Hell, the skin on Sean’s forehead was healing so nicely that Mark felt proud of his amateur medical work. But for now, Mark needed to be mindful of Sean’s mental state. Sean needed to remain sane and if emulating that trust was only through pretend, Mark will not argue. 

“Signe,” Sean stated quietly. “Her name is Signe. She was…is… my girlfriend.”

At that final word, Sean broke down. Maybe it was because Sean just had an epiphany, or maybe it was because he lied to Mark. Whatever the reason, Sean planted his head in his palms and cried his eyes out. Mark simply waited not wanting to approach him just yet. He kept his distance just in case Sean needed space. As much as he wanted to comfort Sean, the idea was risky. 

“She’s very pretty,” Mark stated.

“Cut the shit, Mark!” Sean bellowed at him as he looked up from his soaked palms. Mark remained unmoved and just stared at him. “We both know she’s dead! We both know what she’s capable of! But, you have to understand! Apart of me believes there’s still something in that head of hers. I’ve been trying to find it. I-I’ve been trying to find her humanity; her own self…I can’t stand the thought of her rotting on her own two legs! I…wanted to see…if she could be revived somehow! Fuck!” Sean slammed his fist on the table in anger making the bowls jump. Mark sat back from the table and let Sean continue, listening intently as he talked violently with his hands. “You have to understand, Mark. I know that’s she’s dead. You don’t have to tell me, okay! I know she is! But, she…was…is capable of not eating me! That says something! It means she’s not entirely a monster, right? She hasn’t tried to bite me; not once! I wanted – want to save her…I couldn’t save my family, but I thought she could have a chance. She was the only one who didn’t attack me…unlike mum… or my dad…so, I’ve been talking to her; trying to help her in any way I can. I need to see if she recognizes me in any way! I was wondering if she was capable of speaking, or thinking about something other than food. So…I tied her up, and brought her down there. She’s been down there for a while. The basement helps protect her skin a little bit from completely decaying. It acts as a tomb of some sort. I’ve tried so hard to get her to talk, or to do anything human…just so I know…I need to know…I need to know if she is fully gone, or if there is some part of her left that can come back…” Sean paused and sniffed harshly. He wiped his cheeks with his sleeve. “I didn’t think you would understand. I was scared, Mark. Fuck, I’m still scared. I didn’t trust you with her, and I still don’t trust you now.” He started balling again. This time, Mark was brave enough to risk comforting his friend. The barrier had just come down and Mark wanted to be there to catch him. 

Mark stood from his chair and went to Sean’s side. He started by just placing a hand on his shaking shoulders rubbing his palm between his shoulder blades. Sean’s body gave up and he turned his head into Mark’s stomach and continued crying as he gripped Mark’s shirt. Mark wrapped both arms around him then and stroked the back of Sean’s head.   
The Irishman broke down into a sobbing mess. He heaved his chest as he gasped for air pulling back slightly to breathe. When he regained control, he pulled away from Mark viciously wiping his eyes. Mark let go of him before he knelt on the floor in front of the tired man. When Sean had his hands on his knees, Mark reached out and grabbed them giving them a gentle squeeze.

“Hey, hey, hey,” Mark cooed, “It’s okay. I understand.”

“…Y-you do?” Sean inquired as he looked at him. His cheeks and eyes were very red and puffy. “You don’t hate me for lying to you?”

“No, not at all. I’m a patient man, Sean. I wasn’t about to go in there Rambo style and mess up what you have been trying to do. You’re the first person I’ve met during this thing to even consider trying that on a zombie. I had no idea there’s was even a possibility that they were capable of regaining their humanity, or some form thereof. You are one brave guy. I knew that the moment we met. This could be a good chance to study them up close and not get hurt. I mean, I’m no scientist, but I mean we could study her behavior and possibly learn more about them. It’s brilliant. You’re brilliant!” Mark praised him. He meant every word of it, too. He may need to warm up to her being in the house, but he was being honest. All Mark knew about the infected is that they ate, could run fast depending on their state of decay, and that they were capable of hearing. If Signe could teach them anything, now would be a great chance to learn. It could mean a breakthrough into what may be actually causing this outbreak to begin with. Again, he was no scientist, but the thought kept some form of hope alive in his mind. And who knows. Maybe Sean was right. Maybe there was a part of her memory that was still there. Killing her would not lead to the answer. Sean had every right to not tell Mark about her. Mark is still taken aback, but she means too much to him for Mark to step in a do something he’ll regret. Who knows how long Sean has been going down there. So far so good. 

“I can’t wait to meet her officially,” Mark said with as much of a smile as he could muster. He meant it, too. Sean was his friend. This whole situation only taught Mark to trust in this man even more. 

Sean sniffed and shook his head. “She might try to bite you. She doesn’t know you like she knows me. We have to introduce you slowly. Like, get in front of her and see how she reacts.”

“Yeah, true. She’s known you longer. She trusts you more. What if we…what if we brought her up from the basement. I know it keeps her entombed and protected from decay, but maybe it would be better if she had more room. You know, like we can study her reactions to things up here. Down there, it’s just darkness and crowded. Up here, she’d have more freedom and space to roam around. We can engage with her and see how she responds to certain..uh..what’s the word,” Mark faltered embarrassed.

“Stimuli?” Sean offered.

“Yeah! Exactly; thank you. We could reintroduce her to things around the house, outside, maybe-“

“Whoa, whoa. Slow down, Mark. She’s not going outside.”

“Okay, maybe she won’t. I’ll leave that up to you. I know it’s risky as shit. Sorry I mentioned it. But you see what I’m saying?”

Sean nodded his head at him as he continued to listen intently. 

“And we don’t have to start today,” Mark went on. “We can start next week, or even tomorrow. I know you’ll need time to get her to come up here. If you don’t mind me asking…how did you get her down there?”

Sean sighed as he gathered his thoughts. 

“It’s not a long story. I lured her down the stairs using myself as bait. She almost got me, but I held her off. I couldn’t stand tying her up; it hurt me way too much, but I eventually got close to her and was able to put the cloth in her mouth. She wasn’t much of a fighter when she was alive anyway. So it was easy to tie her up after that.”

Sean paused and looked at Mark. His eyes were red and his body shook with adrenaline. 

“It…it was-“ Sean stuttered ready to cry again.

Mark didn’t hesitate this time. He leaned forward wrapping his exhausted friend in his arms trying to sooth him as best he could. “I get it. Stop talking for a second. Just breathe, okay? Breathe.”

Sean put his head on Mark’s shoulder and hugged him back. He held in his sobs choking on his breath doing the best he could. “I’m sorry I’m crying so much. Jesus fuck, I’m a mess.”

“It’s fine. I’m here whenever you need me,” Mark said quietly. 

Sean pulled back from the embrace and looked at him at that. Mark stared too before he pressed his forehead to Sean’s mimicking the gesture that the Irishman did to him so many times since they’ve become friends. It was something that calmed him, Mark noticed. If he did it in return, he could at least put Sean’s anxiety at ease, if only for a short moment. They needed to keep their heads together. Hey couldn’t let this world take them out mentally. Being the only two they could trust at the moment with no other people around, this was necessary to help heal and conceal. 

“I mean it,” Mark said. “after all this shit that we have been through, all our trust issues, you almost losing your life, I mean everything that comes out of my mouth. No more secrets, no more hiding. I’m here for you if you need anything. I’m here to understand. Okay?”

Sean sniffed and closed his eyes. His breathing returned to normal, but he gripped Mark’s shirt hard enough to turn his knuckles white. Mark placed his hands over Sean’s rubbing soothing circles with his thumbs over the skin trying to calm the trembling man in front of him. 

“Okay?” Mark repeated quietly. 

“Y-yeah. Yeah, okay,” Sean whispered while he nodded his head quickly.

“Good. Now, we got shit to do.”


	12. Shouldn't Have Named Them

The day went on without incident. They two men worked their asses off in the back yard scoping the fences, tending to Mama and Sam, and their garden. Mark kept an eye in the weather noticing a few storm clouds in the distance. Nothing too serious, but he made sure the drains could collect any water. 

They also managed to build the rest of the shelter for the two bovines. Mark helped Sean put the walls together before latching them all together. After all was set up, Sam happily trotted into the shelter moaning slightly wondering if his mom was going to join him. She ignored him as she continued gnawing on her grass. Sam didn’t seem phased as he happily bounced on his hooves exploring the tiny hut. After a time he got tired and laid down on the soft comforter that Sean had brought up from the basement. It was an old piece of cloth that he didn’t give two shits about. He figured it was perfect for them. Sam seemed really content and happy about it. Mama was just being a normal cow, munching and re-munching on her regurgitated cud. Mark stared at the two beasts smiling at their contentedness. Sean had slipped back into the house to return any working material to the basement. 

Mark then suddenly frowned the longer he stared at the two beings in front of him. He still hadn’t researched on how to actually slaughter cattle. Obviously, the internet no longer existed, but there had to be books in a nearby store, or library that he could raid. Hell, maybe even Sean knew about it since he was a farm hand for a while. He didn’t want to bring it up to him, however, because Sean tensed whenever Mark mentioned the idea of using them for food. Knowing the younger man’s mental state, Mark was not going to keep pushing. He knew it was eventually inevitable, but Sean was right. They were here, under their care, and Mark didn’t have it in him at the moment, anyway, to even think about slaughtering them. Fuck, it was like caring for a dog, or a cat. Any pet, really. It brought a tear to Mark’s eye. 

The day was more than half way done by the time they were all said and done with their chores neither of the men had eaten much that day, and Mark had totally forgotten about his raid run. Well, he didn’t really forget; it was more of he didn’t want Sean to find out. The man had been through so much already with Mark being his reason for almost dying every time. So, he had a plan all along to sneak out while Sean was asleep. He would just make a quick pit stop to a nearby grocer, a library if he could find one, and be home before sunrise. There was just one problem: Mark felt guilty. He felt guilty because he had just said earlier that they weren’t going to have any more secrets between them.

In Mark’s mind, however, this wasn’t going to be a secret. It was just going to be a quick run before Sean woke up. Mark had already offered to stay up all night to give Sean a break. Sean merely tilted his head and rose an eyebrow, but didn’t question him any. Instead, Sean thanked him. His shoulder had started aching after the day’s events and he needed all the rest he could get.   
***************  
Mark shut the back door when he stepped into the kitchen. The sun had set and he yawned loudly. Sean had just finished putting dishes from their dinner away when he turned to see Mark standing by the back window. Mark was peeking out the curtain.

“Did you see anything?” Sean inquired as he stepped up behind the other man curious. He peeked over Mark’s shoulder settling his eyes on the two resting bovines before he slunk forward and rested his chin on the hardy shoulder. He shut his eyes due to exhaustion. Mark’s heart fluttered a little, but he didn’t mind. It was comforting to have Sean this close. Mark actually had the urge to grab an arm and encircle his waist with it. But he didn’t. Mark didn’t want to spook the young man.

“No. I think it was just a muskrat or something,” Mark replied willing his heart to calm down. They had both heard some wrestling coming from behind their fence and Mark had gone to investigate. “No zombies, no people. Did a full perimeter check. I didn’t find anything.”

“That’s a relief,” Sean whispered in his ear before letting a breath out ghosting over Mark’s neck. It caused the man to shiver. Sean pulled back then with a small smile on his face and half lidded eyes.   
“Sorry.”

“It’s fine,” Mark stated before turning away from the window letting the curtain billow back into place. He turned and found Sean staring at him with the most amused look on his face. “What?”

“You don’t let anything bother you much anymore, huh,” Sean simply stated.

“What do you mean?” Mark quipped. He wasn’t really confused, but he was interested in exactly what Sean was talking about.

“I mean, I’m that close to you, we shower together now, and I can kiss you on the cheek and forehead and you don’t blink. I appreciate that.”

“…Can I be honest?” Mark asked quietly, his face blushing a little bit.

“Always.”

“I thought you were gay at first, when we met.”

“Oh? I’m not surprised. I do make a lot of physical contact with people that I really like. I like showing affection regardless of the relationship status. Makes me feel closer to people, male or female.”  
“I just didn’t want to say anything, or say something stupid. I didn’t want to come across as a homophobe, either. I let it happen and now, yeah, I am comfortable with it. And to be honest, I really wasn’t bothered by it at all. I’ve just gotten so comfortable enough around you that I don’t let it bother me. I like affection, too, showing it and giving it...I miss being close to someone actually.”

Sean paused at that statement just staring at Mark affectionately. He then smiled before speaking again. “Well, thank you. It’s hard to give affection and not expecting anything from it,” Sean whispered as he looked away from Mark. Mark quirked an eyebrow internally at the statement noticing a hint of red in the Irishman’s cheeks, but didn’t voice it. 

“Anyway, I’m going to bed. You sure you want to watch all night?” Sean asked him.

“Yeah, yeah. Don’t worry about me. You get some sleep. Just make it up to me tomorrow,” Mark said with a charming smile. Sean giggled.

“I will. Believe me,” Sean said. “Goodnight, Mark.”

“Goodnight, you goofy Irishman,” Mark stated as he watched Sean head up the stairs. He waited until he heard Sean slink into his room. After some time, Mark went into the living room and gathered his hidden pack from under the couch. He grabbed a wrist watch and slid it into place. He checked the time. it was currently 11:30pm. He had six hours. Hopefully, he would get everything he was looking for and be on his way back home before Sean realized he was gone. 

Hopefully.   
******

Mark was able to sneak out easily. He had quietly opened the door and quietly closed it behind him. He waited for about a minute to make sure he didn’t wake Sean. When there was no movement anywhere, Mark opened the gate carefully. Soon enough, he calmly and quietly made his way to the streets. It was dark out. There was no moonlight and of course the street lamps stopped working months ago. All he had was his small flashlight. He kept it concealed in his pocket as he crept through the abandoned streets. 

After a while of walking, Mark had come across two bastards that were heavily decayed and frayed. They could barely stand anymore, let alone bite him. Half of their teeth were missing. Regardless, Mark ended their misery swiftly and cautiously. Just a small scratch or one saliva covered tooth could be his own end. Not that he was complaining, but he was very surprised that the bastards seemed less and less nowadays. And still no live people. All these months living out here with Sean and not one traveler, or group. Except for those damn assholes two weeks ago. Both men were worried that they had a group of people coming to search for them. Maybe they did and gave up, or maybe they were on their way. Either way, Mark and Sean had a survival plan just in case. They were prepared to defend, or run depending on the situation. 

The night was a bit chilly sending a shiver down his spine as he continued on his way. Mark rubbed his arms as he walked along the empty streets, keeping a watch and an open ear for any signs of potential danger. His first stop was going to be a convenient store to rummage for any food he could find. Then, maybe he could hit a library to search for some kind of how to book about cattle. God it was going to be hard, but they needed to do this…right? Mark shook his head and wiped his knife off on his shirt listening to the quiet sounds around him. It was so eerie being out this late at night with barely any moonlight to light a pathway for him. He couldn’t risk too much, not knowing this area well enough like Sean. Maybe he should’ve told him he was going out…no. No, he couldn’t risk his friend’s life…again. Never again.

Mark marched on following their footsteps from the weeks before, hoping to come across that shady shop where he and Sean were almost caught by the zombie bastard. He wandered with the best memories he could until finally, after an hour, he found it. The place looked the same, cold empty and barely standing with tattered cloth awning billowing in the slight breeze that grazed the town. Mark stepped lightly, the bottom of his shoes scraping the concrete as he approached the dim building in the moonlight. He pulled his knife out and had it ready just case he needed it. So, far his journey into the unknown was a quiet venture. Nothing popped out at him from the darkness, but he was ready regardless. 

Mark wrinkled his nose up at the horrible stench as he got closer. In front of him the corpse from the weeks before, the pants-less zombie woman that Sean had killed lay motionless, but had buzzing flies swarming over her decayed sunken head. Her legs were even worse for wear as Mark noticed the bones extruding where her feet used to be. Mark tried to remain calm as he walked past her decaying body holding his breath until he was well out of the stench. He moved into the withered building, crawling through the open window over the lip as he went. The darkness encroached on him consuming his eye sight. He pulled his small flash light from his back pocket and shown it around the store. 

The shelves for the most part were empty, just a couple of strewn boxes, destroyed merchandise, and debris from the crumbling stature of the building itself. Mark sifted carefully with his flashlight over the metal shelves hoping to have even an ounce of luck of finding something still edible. He’s pretty sure Sean had ransacked his entire village at this point, but it didn’t hurt to check. He managed to step around the ceiling debris that was on the floor, the gentle scraping and shuffling of his shoes on the linoleum floor raping his ear drums in the forever quiet of the darkness. He ignored the rattling of it in his skull as best he could as he crouched low and high skimming the dusty shelves with his hands hoping to find a jackpot of sorts. He moved throughout the shop as steadily as he could, keeping an ear out for any danger and keeping his head focused on making it back alive. The bastards did wander at night time, and he wasn’t about to let his guard down even or a second. True, it had been weeks since they came across any of the worn dead, but his instincts were too strong at this point to drop any care. He would stand strong, ready to fight at the drop of hat. He just imagined Sean sleeping in his bed right now; not having any worry at all. He was sleeping soundly in his bed, his pretty green head on his pillow, probably drooling into his sheets. At peace…

Mark smiled to himself imagining his friend laying in bed, dreaming. Truth be told, he wanted to join him in that soft warm bed, snuggled against another like they did the first couple days they knew each other. Back then, it had been a little weird. Mark felt a bit weird, but now, he realized just how much he missed being with someone…and he’d grown very fond of his friend. His soft inviting eyes, his tenacity…sure they had their moments, but what couple didn’t?

And there was the word that passed in his head: couple…

Maybe they weren’t a couple in a romantic sense of the word…but…well with the way Mark looked at him and admired him from afar…the word wasn’t that far off in a way. He enjoyed Sean getting close to him, touching him platonically…it was comforting. Sure, he’d never been this fond of a man before. He was straight as far as he knew. Maybe it was just the circumstances, or maybe he was just completely wrong about his sexuality entirely. It was confusing, for sure. Mark loved the man like a brother, definitely…romantically though? It was kind of hard to say, right now. They’d been through so much these last couple months and his need for close companionship just kept growing and growing. But…could he and Sean really…?

Mark was pulled from his thoughts when his ears perked up at an alarming sound. He managed to make it towards the back of the store and he turns toward the sounds coming from outside the shop. The shop was wide, but it wasn’t deep. So, Mark turned off his flashlight, kneeling to the dirty floor, being sure to stay out of sight. He held his breath feeling a drop of sweat roll over his forehead. He held it tightly in his chest, his lungs in agony, but he didn’t dare give himself reprieve until he knew what he was dealing with.

From the outside, Mark could make out some moaning and gurgling sounds, shuffling of feet against pavement growing louder and louder in the dark. Some wind was making the fallen tarp billow against the brick, but the gurgling got louder. And then, just as he was about to breathe, Mark could barely make out the forms of not one, not two….but ten or more bastards shuffling their way in front of the busted window. He cursed in his head, his blood running cold in his veins at the sight. The stench be damned; those gnarly glowing teeth in the moonlight caused more concern. Their slow movements didn’t fool him, either. Mark knew better…

The bastards crowded the front of window working into one direction, snarling and drooling. Mark stayed put his back against the wall. he wished he could sink into it. But they seemed to be heading in the other direction for the moment. He could wait it out until they were gone. This shop was a dud, anyway. 

He could wait it out, he could have waited it out but then, out of nowhere, a stone the size of his hand, flew into the shop, striking a metal shelf causing a loud pinging sound to reverberate in the shop…which caught the bastards’ attentions. In unison, they all stopped and stared in the direction of the sound, their teeth shining. Mark’s eyes widened as he could see them, but they couldn’t see him. He needed to get out of there, fast!

Panic struck his nerves, his muscles collapsed and he was going numb when he realized the bastards were stepping over the lip of the window. Jesus! How did they manage to be so…that didn’t matter. He was in danger. 

Mark crawled on his knees against the wall feeling for something that could help him out. A bastard had mustered its way into the dark, dank shop, clumsily bumping into shelves, groaning. It shuffled along down one aisle and Mark kept his best eagle eye on it, trying to decipher its movement. He felt along the wall knowing full well that the other bastards were in the store after they clumsily fell over the lip of the window. They spread out some moving faster than others, bumping and shuffling. 

Mark continued crawling until his hand felt the smooth texture of a door against his palm. His heart stopped as a loud pang of a close bastard was near him. He knew he was surrounded and the only option he had was to fight fire with fire. He reached out, finding a slightly heavy object; it felt like a piece of dry wall. He threw it as hard as he could towards the opposite end of the store, crossing his fingers. The nearest bastard snarled and hurried in the direction of the noise along with the others. Mark took his chance, standing and turned his attention to the door. He grabbed the handle and pulled gently….of course it didn’t budge…how in the world did he think it would ever work? Mark swore under his breath, looking over to the bastards at the other end of the store, their backs turned to him, completely oblivious to his existence. He crouched again, shifting his weight to the balls of his feet and used his hands to crawl towards the opposite wall. He watched them like a hawk, nearly retching at the sight of a bastard’s jaw dangling from its hinge. Their attention soon began to fade from the piece of wall he threw and he realized he needed to do it again. Mark grabbed a box on the floor and tossed it as hard as he could over to them gaining their attention. They snarled and shuffled towards the fallen object while Mark simultaneously moved more towards the window gaining his footing as he inched towards the window while they shuffled more towards the back. He was so close to freedom he almost allowed himself to breathe.

CLANG!

He froze as another object was flung into the store, hitting a shelf…near to him. The bastards turned, naturally drawn to it growling loudly. Fuck it.

Mark sprang up from his position and rushed to the window. The bastards screeched in anger racing after him, their teeth showing. Mark practically jumped out of the window, stumbling as he landed on the pavement. Regaining his composure, Mark sprinted like a mad dog down the street, not caring about the direction. The shrieking behind him faded out, before his muscles were put into full gear. He just kept going, his feet hitting the ground hard. 

Mark sprinted a couple blocks, twisting and turning as he went to lose the bastards behind him. He no longer could hear the screeches or the footsteps behind him. Granted, he was breathing hard and his feet hit the pavement really hard. 

“Fuck this feels familiar,” he moans to himself after stopping when he’s in the clear. He puts his hands on his knees to catch his breath, panting like an animal in heat. He stays like that for a few minutes, letting his lungs greedily take in air. He tried to keep his breathing quiet as it was loud around him. He looked up after a few minutes gathering his bearings, trying to process what all had just happened. It hit him hard in the stomach, his gut twisting in agony at the realization that…they were not alone in this village. Someone deliberately threw those debris pieces into the shop. Twice.  
Fuck.

What if it was the rest of the group members those three assholes were apart of, or what if…never mind that. Mark shook his head, trying to will away those thoughts. There was not much he could do right now. All he could do was lie low and accomplish his goal for the night, hopefully making it out in one piece. If there was a person in this village trying to sabotage him, well, he didn’t want to meet them. Mark rolled his head and adjusted his pack before he started off down the street again, keeping a watchful eye and an open ear for any more trouble. He couldn’t hear the bastards, anymore, but he needed to remain alert if there happened to be any more. He needed to get back home alive and out of sight; like a ghost in the wind, invisible and nonexistent. 

He huffed quietly as he continued down the streets. He peered around corners of buildings to ensure his safety, occasionally flashing his light to confuse any enemies. He came across a few bastards, but most of them were lying on the ground, their heads growling at him as he passed. The rest of their bodies were empty beyond measure, just open cavities of bones and dark goo. He didn’t bother ending them. He just walked past them, holding his nose. Finally, on the other side of the village, Mark found another shop with a broken window and bars going across the door. A large piece of wood was nailed to the other window, written words painted in black across it saying, “Finish them.”

Mark didn’t think much of it. The message was probably written by a gun wielding nut job determined to kill every bastard they came across. It was a fucked up world, now…nonsensical graffiti was to be expected. Mark blatantly ignored it as he stepped over the lip of the window, gaining entry to dark shop. He surveyed the layout, noting where a potential escape route would be, should the events of moments earlier repeat themselves. Mark felt an itch in his nose and scratched himself to dissuade his body from sneezing and he scoped out the dusty shelves. He couldn’t find much, unfortunately. All he found were some dry noodles sitting on the bottom shelf on one side of the store. He grabbed four of them in total, stuffing them into his bag. He sighed and stood up, wiping his face a bit frustrated. 

He searched the whole store, not finding anything particularly useful. No water bottles, no canned fruit, or meat which they so desperately needed. He sighed and traveled to the back of the store finding a wall leading into the back storage room. He put his ear to the door listening for anything unusual. Without hearing anything, Mark tried the handle and found it locked. He sighed again and looked over his shoulder. His nerves started firing up, wondering if the risk was worth it. Nothing was outside. Fuck it, they needed food.

As hard as he could, Mark kicked the handle knocking it off of its hinge, the metal seeming to be a bit rotten enough to easily fall apart. The loud sound rang throughout the store and Mark froze for a minute ducking to the floor to be out of any prying eyes that may have been lured by the loud kick. Nothing happened, to his relief. Mark stood up and grabbed the door pulling it towards him and opens with a loud scrape and creaking. He winces, but can’t quit now. He steps into the back room a raises his flashlight. He surveys the shelves and finds some boxes wrapped by tape. He puts his light in his mouth and pulls his knife out tearing the tape apart. He scrambles to get the box open and smiles in relief. Inside, Mark finds boxes of oatmeal. He stuffs as much packets as he can in his pack before moving to the next box. In that, he finds some old fruit snacks. 

Mark’s bag is stuffed to its seams as he gathers the dry food. It will have to do for now, until they’re able to…well, best not think about it right now. Sam and Mama became a bit dear to him. He shouldn’t have named them.

Carefully, Mark exited the shop looking around the streets outside. He didn’t see anything, other than the growling heads of the others he passed by. Mark readied his knife and walked up to one of them. The growling bastard was more bone than skin with its partial brain still intact. Mark shoved his knife deep into the skull, the bone easily breaking on impact. Mark twisted the blade until the bastard stopped growling, going still under him. He stood up and continued on his way.


	13. Safe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Major Warning ahead: sexual content, but very depraved in nature.

Mark kept looking over his shoulder as he continued on around the streets, paranoia flooding his mind as the events passed in his mind over and over again.

Twice. 

It happened twice. 

Someone alive knew of his presence. It was no coincidence…someone threw those rocks, or whatever they were. It was too dark to see what they were precisely. 

And he was terrified. As he walked, he gripped his knife in his hand clenching and unclenching his fingers as he strode through the empty streets, the wind only keeping him company. Any little noise, he whipped his head around to keep a close eye. So far, no sign of the person who had discovered him was near…at least he hoped not. 

“Dammit!” he seethed. He had one more goal tonight, but no with imminent danger lurking around the town, he just couldn’t risk being out any longer than needed. He needed to get back to Sean. The book store, or whatever could help him figure out how to slaughter cattle could wait.

What if this person knew where they lived? Oh shit…

Without another thought, Mark gripped his knife harder and sprinted down the street. Admittedly, he’d kind of gotten turned around in the streets of the village, but did his best to navigate the darkened roads. 

“Okay, okay, think think think!” Mark whispered desperately to himself just trying to remember the buildings. It didn’t help that he didn’t have a map, or even have a good mental map. His heart sank and he began to regret this decision. “Okay, just calm down and think. Think!” He took a breath as he looked around scoping out the area. This village couldn’t be that big! Maybe if he trudged back the way he came? Just carefully to stay out of sight? No, that was too risky. Well, onward, then.

Mark slowed his sprint to a normal walk and tried to regain his bearings. He knew the direction of where he should be going. The house is on the north side of the village; that he at least knew. So that’s what he did. Mark headed north down the streets. He must have wandered for a least an hour until he finally came to a building he recognized. 

“Finally,” he whispered. He found the street he came into town on and started wandering that way, determined to get back to the house. It must’ve been close to 4 am because the sky started to get lighter. Shit…Sean may be waking up soon.

Mark hurried down the road, trying to step quietly, but not really succeeding. His footsteps were loud, his thoughts were loud, and his heart was racing. He didn’t want Sean to think the worst. Fuck he was so stupid, so stu-

Mark suddenly froze, clutching the knife in his hand. He heard someone whistle; a short high pitched whistle, in a short distance behind him. Oh, fuck…

Mark scrambled to get under a building awning and flatten himself against the wall as close as he could, looking in the direction of the sound. He swallowed thickly, trying to focus his eyes in the dark. Of course he couldn’t see anything and he scolded himself for being out here. The sky was getting lighter by the moment, but he couldn’t risk this person…this asshole finding out their location. He had to wait this out. Who knows what Sean would do when he found he wasn’t home. He could only hope that Sean trusted him enough at this point to come back.

Mark crept his way into the alley between the buildings, hoping to dodge this prick and lose them as quietly as he could. The area was dull and quiet, not a single bastard to be seen. He could cut down this way, since the sound had come from the opposite direction. Maybe if was lucky he could sprint away from this person and lose them in the dark. But he thought he did already.

That’s when he heard footsteps. They were so loud in the quiet, he was sure to go deaf. Mark held his breath and ducked down behind a dumpster holding the knife to his chest. He could see the end of the alleyway that came out to another street, but he couldn’t risk moving yet. The steps grew shorter and louder echoing off the walls of the alley until they stopped. Mark didn’t have to guess where this person stopped…he knew exactly where they stopped. This person was looking down the alleyway and surely could see everything that he could. Mark froze everything; he could even feel his blood freezing to a stop. 

He heard the whistle again and he bit his lips to keep from being startled. 

Both of them stayed in the same position. Mark really did not want to kill anyone; not tonight, not right now. He was done killing people. He just wanted to get out of this alive and possibly happy and safely. He just wanted to get out safely…safe. He wanted them to be safe. Everyone.

Should he say something? Should he make his presence known and maybe form a truce? Mark was confused, but still didn’t move. The sky got lighter and lighter the longer they stayed. The stranger looking down the alley, tapping their foot and whistling every so often. Mark flinched every time, but refused to move. His knuckled whitened around the handle of the knife. 

Suddenly, his ears pricked up at a sharp screech of a bastard from down the street. They were like coyotes; once one bastard screeched, they all did. It must’ve been the groups of bastards from before. They probably spotted the stranger and came running after them. Mark turned his head towards the sounds, knocking his skull against the side of the dumpster and listened carefully to the fading, hurried steps of the stranger. As they grew faint, Mark risked leaning his head around to see what happened. The stranger was gone, no longer at the foot of the alley. He didn’t hesitate. He stood quickly and sprinted his hardest down the tight space away from the screeching bastards as they pounded the pavement passing the alleyway opening going after the stranger that was there moments ago. Mark didn’t look back. He made it to the end of the alley and turned in the direction of the house. Hopefully, this stranger would be distracted enough to be eluded. Mark carried himself in a hurry, sprinting to a familiar street. He didn’t stop until he reached the house, thanking his stars that he was alive and able to be with Sean again. 

Safe.  
********  
Mark came into the house silently. It was a foot after sunrise and his body ached all over. He knew Sean must’ve been so worried about him. Knowing the Irishman, he was up by now, making them breakfast, or doing god knows what. The entire way home, when he wasn’t worrying about the stranger finding out their location, or trying to be spotted by the bastards, he conjured up an apology for the ages. He wanted Sean to know exactly why he had to go alone and what he brought back to prove that his journey was all for naught. Sean would understand. He would always understand.  
Mark tapped the door shut and headed up the stairs when he didn’t see Sean in the kitchen. Maybe he was upstairs still asleep. It would’ve been unusual, but at least he could sneak in and pretend nothing happened. He slowly crept quietly to his own room. Just as he was about to enter, he glanced over at Sean’s room and noticed the door was open and his bed was empty. Maybe he was probably working with Singe, again? Mark wouldn’t be surprised. 

Mark sighed to himself wondering if he should bring Sean back up. On the one hand, Sean could do whatever he wanted, but then again he needed to let him know of his return and what he found. Deciding the latter was the best idea, Mark shuffled his way back to the stairs before descending. He made his way over to the basement door, took a breath, and opened it. The waft of decay filled his nostrils and Mark did his best to ignore it. They’ll need to talk about this later. Her state of decay was lessened by the moist basement, sure; however, it wouldn’t last much longer. 

Mark made his way down the dark steps suppressing his urge to vomit every time he noticed the stench of death in his face. Mark carefully made his way over to the door knowing how to maneuver around the scattered boxes at this point. Then, he kicked something and it sounded like glass scattering across the paved floor. He looked down out of habit and shown his light on the object. Just as he thought, it the empty bottle of the shared whiskey from upstairs. Sean must have finished it off. But, why was it down here?

That’s when he stopped after he heard a strange noise. It sounded like Sean, but he wasn’t speaking. It sounded like…he was…

Groaning?

Mark’s stomach dropped immediately. This was it. His mind went to dark places, again. Signe must have bitten him. And now he’d have to take care of him and her. Shit.   
Just as he was about to grab his knife, he heard the sound again; only this time it sounded like…

A moan. 

A lustful moan. 

Mark held his breath when he got to the door. His mind was still in a dark place, but now after hearing that, maybe the situation was different. But, Sean could not possibly be…doing what he thinks he is doing…is he?

Mark scowled and furrowed his brow as he reached the handle very slowly. He didn’t want to find what he was about to find. He hoped he had misheard and misjudged the whole thing in his head.

Fuck…

Mark opened the creaking door and the noises got louder instantly making his heart sink. In the corner of the room, the dim light of the torch was illuminating shadows on the wall. The shadows were moving back and forth, rhythmically. Sean’s moans were prominent now. His suspicions were correct. 

Sean was drunk…and…he was…fucking his dead girlfriend…

“Oh god! Fucking god!” Mark choked. He literally choked and really had the urge to vomit now. He grabbed his mouth as he felt a wretch crawl over his body. He turned in the door way away from the frame and let the burning liquid sprout from his mouth in a wave of a disgusting waterfall. It burned his nostrils and he let it all out, hunching over until his body couldn’t handle it anymore. 

When he was done, Mark used the nearest wall to help him stand. He spit out the remaining taste in his mouth and wiped his lips with the back of a wrist. How long had Sean been doing this? How many times had he engaged in this behavior due to the lack of human contact? A common need shared by most human beings of feeling close to one another and sharing in their most respected way possible with sex. Has he actually been driven mad? Does he even know what he is doing? Should Mark be worried? Pack up and leave? Mark felt sick again, but there was nothing left to come up. Instead, he stood erect and marched back into the room. He couldn’t let this continue. Sean was more than this. So was his girlfriend. They both know she is dead. They couldn’t fall apart now. If this is something that Sean needed, anything would be better than this…

Even if that meant…

Mark put on his most calm demeanor he could. There was not a single doubt in his mind that Sean had heard him. He was loud enough for anyone to hear him in a five mile radius. But, he was ready to face Sean. He was ready to stop this madness. Mark took a breath and hurried over to the shadows on the wall rounding the boxes. 

If Sean did hear him, he didn’t care. Once Mark rounded the boxes, he was face to face with Sean’s bare backside. His pants were around the bottom of his buttocks and he still had a shirt on. Sean was semi bent over the top of Signe’s naked backside as he just kept up with his pace letting loose a groan every so often. He was so concentrated on his task that he didn’t even notice Mark walking and standing right up behind him. Mark peeked around him to look at Signe. She had her hands tied around a pipe that was jutting from the wall. Her head was in a burlap sack. Or pillow case of some sort with a rope tying off the end of the fabric preventing the material from falling off. She was bent over some boxes to support her body as she just moved when Sean thrusted forward. Mark couldn’t help himself. He started tearing up at the sight. Sean was so desperate, so lonely, and he didn’t know how to help. Looking at it, he would do anything for Sean. He would do anything to help this man overcome this insatiable need to be close to someone. Maybe he should offer himself. If Sean was just looking for sex…he could provide that…maybe. It was worth a shot. Anything would be better than…this. This was so sick and twisted; defiling a dead body, losing hope, and losing your mind. Sean needed to be grounded. He needed stability. This was not the way to do that.

“Sean,” Mark finally gained the courage to speak as he watched Sean thrust forward occasionally. He was moving slowly within Signe almost as if he were tired. How long had been down here? “Sean.”

Sean stopped and took several breaths before he looked at him over his shoulder. His eyes were half lidded, red, blotchy, and he looked dead himself. He stared coldly at the man. Mark noticed his head weaving. Mark knew that he couldn’t see straight. He probably didn’t recognize Mark right now. He probably didn’t even know where he was. 

“Fuck off, Merk,” Sean replied viciously. “nun your…bus..ness.”

“Sean, please. Stop this,” Mark pleaded calmly. He stepped closer to the Irishman.

“…’m almost done…think…” Sean slurred as he turned back to his task pulling back slightly and pressing in again. “Jus…fuck off…fucking douchebag…”

Mark bit his lip. He knew Sean didn’t mean it. It was just the booze talking. He just let it slide off his shoulders. “Come on, buddy. I’ll take you upstairs. We can talk about this, later.”

“Don’ call me….tha! Ye’ fookin leaft me! Ye’ didna even tell me!” Sean slurred as he turned sharply to the man behind him. “Fookin leaft me…”

Mark’s heart broke when Sean started crying. He sobbed as he slumped over Signe’s body lucky that the boxes supported both of their weights. Guilt fell over him and he released his own fresh tears.   
“Why did ye’ fuckin leave me…” Sean sobbed hard his shoulders shaking. Mark knew this was not just about him, now. He was referring to everyone in his life right now; his family, his girlfriend, his life…

“I’m here now, buddy. Come on. Let’s go upstairs,” Mark said calmly as he approached Sean from the side. Ignoring the awkwardness, Mark gently took a hold of Sean’s weeping shoulders and guided the younger man to stand straight. Sean was too beside himself to protest as Mark guided him to stand. 

“Go slowly,” Mark informed him quietly referring to the “situation” Sean was in. If the man was softening, going easy and slow would be the best way of dislodging the two. Sean absentmindedly obliged as he staggered on his feet, but he managed to remove his phallus from Signe. Once he was released, both men stepped back from the corpse; Mark almost fell but held the slumping man steady. Sean rubbed his eyes with his sleeve as he looked at what he had done. His head swam in alcohol and his vision blurred. He felt heavy and his body was going numb. He stumbled against the solid body next to him and looked at the man’s face. Mark locked eyes with him for a second before hoisting the smaller man’s arm around his shoulders. He used his free hand to hook around Sean’s waist looping his thumb through a belt loop to keep them from falling off of Sean’s small frame.

“Um, Sean? Let’s…” mark stammered a bit embarrassed when he looked down.

“ ‘ve…got it…” Sean murmured as he did his best to put himself away in his jeans. He fumbled with the button, but managed to get the zipper up at least. Mark gripped the loop with his thumb again.  
Carefully, Mark began walking the drunken man towards the stairs of the basement. Sean for the most part was easy to handle; he didn’t put up much of a fuss. He smelled of old whiskey and death; two major scents Mark was used to by this time. He wouldn’t worry himself over that just yet. They glided up the stairs in a drunken stupor and Mark had to adjust his grip a second or two as they ascended. Mark kicked the door shut with a free leg once they were out of the damned basement. The smell in the air of old cabin wood and stale smoke relieved his senses. The smell of his own vomit was gone, too. 

Mark gently took Sean up the stairs all the while listening to Sean moan and slump his head in different directions trying to remain conscious. They made their way into Sean’s room, carefully sitting him down on the mattress. 

“Okay, there we go,” Mark grunted as he released the Irishman. Sean fell on his torso after he immediately hit the soft blankets. He groaned into the bed spread splaying his arms in front of him. “Come on, buddy. Get up there.” Mark snuck an arm underneath Sean’s neck and around his back to hoist him closer to his head board. Sean didn’t help him at all. He just groaned with the movements. His mouth was slack and his eyes were closed. He was about to pass out. 

Mark heaved a heavy sigh as he stared at the clothed man. He debated if he should leave him or stay. He reeked of death, but he had drank so much, what if he needed supervision? Fuck it. Mark made up his mind. He quickly strolled into his own room, grabbed his blanket and pillow, and came back into the room noticing Sean was already asleep. He would be on the bed, but his stomach couldn’t handle the wretched smell right now. Instead, Mark made a little nesting area for himself over near Sean’s closet. 

He looked up at the man on the bed when little snores filled the room. Mark sighed again and lied down on his blanket, hating the feeling of the wood floor beneath him. He just ignored it as best he could. He also did his best to ignore the damn scene in his head of Sean fucking a dead person.

Those thoughts would never go away. 

Still, Mark did his best and closed his eyes ready for a better day. He was exhausted from no sleep. He had nightmares the whole time he slept.


	14. I'm Sorry

Mark was awakened by the sound of retching. He opened his eyes to see Sean doubling over the side of the bed holding his own stomach as he began barfing up the contents of his insides. Mark winced at the sound and the horrible smell. Sean breathed in until the vomit came up again scorching his nostrils and decaying his teeth. Mark sat up under his blankets sighing to himself as he just listened to the horrid noises. The last thing he heard was Sean spitting onto the floor trying to dislodge the foul taste from his mouth hoping it was all gone. Mark stood up and walked over to him. He avoided the large black puddle as he quietly shifted his arm under Sean’s armpits to hoist him closer before standing him up. Sean wasn’t protesting. He was just thankful for Mark to keep him away from his raw insides on the floor as they exited the bedroom. 

Mark gently took the sick man to the bathroom. Once they were in front of the toilet, Sean doubled over again as more vomit rose into his throat. Mark quickly tipped his head toward the bowl as Sean caught himself with his arms and began barfing into the water bowl. He coughed and retched over and over until finally it was just his chest heaving dryly. Mark in the meantime grabbed a towel and started to run the hot water for him. Sean had collapsed to his knees groaning and slightly swaying in his sitting position. 

“Mark…” he whispered.

“Yeah, buddy,” Mark replied back as he looked down from the lip of the tub at his friend. 

“Wha-what happn’d…?” he slurred slightly.

Mark sighed to himself before answering as he kept testing the temperature of the water in his palm. “You drank way too much, is what happened. Made yourself sick, dingus.” He left out the ‘You also fucked your dead girlfriend,’ part.

Sean nodded trying to fathom Mark’s words as he pushed the heel of his palm against his temple, hissing. “Oh…fuck, that hurts...”

Mark turned on the shower head and closed the curtain as the water rushed through the faucet. He turned his attention to Sean on the floor. “Think you can stand without my help?”

Sean nodded again before reaching to steady his shaking body on the edge of the tub. Using what strength he had, he mustered his way into standing. Mark held up a hand just in case he needed it. His hand was not necessary but he still wanted to help. 

“Uh, Sean? Do you need help?” he asked gently, realizing Sean was still in his clothes.

“I-I got it…” he whispered hoarsely. 

Sean tried lifting his shirt but his strength was barred by the intense weakness followed by the vomiting. Mark swallowed as he watched Sean with empathetic eyes. Sean was struggling to get a grip on his situation and he felt so helpless watching his friend struggle. He needed to do something.

“Here, let me help,” Mark said as he stood from the lip and helped Sean out of his shirt. Jack swayed on his feet, nearly falling over on him. Sean looked down at his pants, lowering his hand to the zipper before pulling it down. He stripped down naked while Mark looked anywhere that was not disrespectful, a light blush showing on his cheeks. Sean used Mark’s shoulders to hold himself steady until he was able to get completely nude in front of his friend. Mark cleared his throat. 

Getting past the awkwardness, Mark helped Sean step into the tub ushering the Irishman to sit down. The young man complied placing his back against the back of the tub resting his head on the wall. That’s when Mark noticed Sean was abundantly shaking and he suddenly became hyper aware that something was very wrong. 

“Sean. Tell me what you’re feeling.”

“…shaky…like, I haven’t eaten in days. Weak, and hollow…numb…”

“Fuck,” Mark muttered. It was just as he feared. Sean was suffering from alcohol poisoning. “Stay there. I’ll be right back.”

The dark haired man exited the bathroom, running downstairs to the kitchen. He fished through the cabinets, grabbing a can of peaches before running back upstairs into the bathroom. Mark opened the curtain to see Sean had his head still tilted back resting against the wall with his eyes closed. He stirred a little when Mark knelt beside him. 

“Keep your mouth open. You need sugar,” Mark said as he opened the can, plucked a slimy peach from it, and placed it to Sean’s lips. Sean complied wordlessly as the fruit was welcomed into his mouth. He chewed it viciously before swallowing. Mark held another slice to his mouth and Sean accepted it. They repeated this until the can was more than half empty. Sean was the one who put his hand up to stop Mark from continuing. As much as Mark hated to stop, he complied setting the can on the floor. 

Mark looked over his friend for any more signs of trouble. Sean was rolling his head from side to side and his eyes were heavy. He moaned softy dazed and sad looking. Mark just sat there quietly watching Sean as the sugars were being digested. He couldn’t help himself as he reached forward brushing some matted hair off of his companion’s forehead. Sean responded quietly, leaning into the polite gesture releasing short breaths. He looked more relaxed putting Mark’s heart at ease.

“I’m okay…” Sean whispered into Mark’s hand. 

After a few minutes, Sean opened his eyes rolling his head back towards Mark looking at him as best he could manage. His head was heavy. He titled his cranium back to the wall. Mark just watched the warm water sprinkle his lips catching a glare in the faint light of the bathroom. He removed his hand, looking into Sean’s sad, puffy eyes. He zoned out as his brown eyes merged with blue, nothing breaking the stare that they shared until mark felt the warm water hitting his arm. Quickly thinking, Mark turned the water off, knowing they needed to save as much water as possible. Any day now the water would not return. He couldn’t let it go to waste.

“Mark…”

“Yeah?”

“What happened last night?”

Mark swallowed hard feeling his stomach drop. “You got –“

“What else though. I had nightmares last night. Horrible nightmares.”

“D-do you remember anything?” Mark inquired not ready to tell Sean something he may not want to hear.

“…a little. I-I remember going inta the basement, and…I saw Signe, just standing there, moanin’ and I…” Sean froze. Mark watched as his eyes widened and his lip crinkled until he started to sob. He just now remembered what he did and he felt sick again. “Oh GOD!!!” 

Sean wailed loudly breaking into a full blown melt down. Fat tears mixed on his cheeks with the water as he drew his knees to his chest plopping his head between them yanking on his hair. “Fuck!!!”  
Mark sighed rubbing his face with a hand trying his damnedest to stay clear headed. The man was breaking apart crushing his own soul by the weight of his guilt. The memories must have caused a collision between sanity and destroyed his ability to be rational. Nonetheless, Mark needed to give him time to recover from this action. 

“What was I thinking!?!” Sean yelled into his legs. “Why did I do that! To her! Fucking hell!!”

Mark winced at Sean’s words torn between the need to leave him alone, or to comfort him. He wanted to do both, but he hesitated to do either. That’s when Sean muffled more words into his knees.  
“I’m a horrible person…I’m a horrible person…I’m a fucking horrible person!” Sean said this like a mantra while batting his head against his knee caps. That’s when Mark intervened.

“Sean, you’re not a horrible person. Don’t say that. Please, stop banging your head. You’ve punished yourself enough. Stop.”

“I c-can’t believe…wha-…ah, god!” Sean just sobbed.

Mark leaned over into the tub not caring that he would get wet. Mark reached out and grabbed Sean’s cheek trying to rub a thumb over it to soothe the distraught man. Sean wouldn’t look at him too distraught to care.

“Sean, look at me. Look at me. Please,” Mark begged. Sean finally did sniffing in the process. “You are not a horrible person. If anything, this was my fault. I can take the blame for what you did because I don’t blame you. Not a single bit. I should’ve told you where I went and I’m sorry I worried you. This world was not meant for us, but we are here now. I wish I could make it all stop, but I can’t. The best thing I can do is be here for you and help you survive; I want to help you get through this. You’ve been there for me. It’s time I returned the favor. What you did last night, I’ll never fully understand. You love her, I know that. What you did could be for many reasons; love, desperation, loneliness. Whatever it is, I…I want to be the one you turn to. And I promise to be here with you as long as you need me.”

Sean couldn’t answer. He just nodded his head and closed his eyes. “I’m tired.”

“I know. Just focus on finishing up and get back to bed. I’ll take care of everything today, okay?”

“Okay…” Sean whispered before Mark helped him to his feet. Mark offered the best smile he could trying to reassure the young man. Sean didn’t smile back. He looked at his feet instead, reaching down to turn the water back on. He closed the curtain without another word, leaving Mark to turn around and exit the bathroom, shutting the door behind him.

Mark sauntered downstairs into the living room while Sean finished his shower upstairs. He stepped to the back window to peek out. He saw Mama and Sam munching on some hay. He smirked to himself before finding his discarded pack. He brought the items to the kitchen to put in to the cabinets, his mind wandering.  
*********  
It was nearly dusk as Mark was finishing up outside, checking the parameter of the fence for weak spots when Sean meandered into the backyard. He looked up at the Irishman smirking at him as he stepped outside. They locked eyes for a brief second and Sean returned the smile. Sean looked so much more rested, clean, and in better spirits. It was well deserved after his melt down from this morning. Of course, Mark wouldn’t bring it up again unless Sean wanted to talk. Whatever was in his head was his doing for leaving without telling him, anyway. Mark blamed himself. He left Sean behind without a single word and in desperation…or, whatever was going on in his head, he rebelled by getting drunk and fucking his dead girlfriend. It’s an image he could never erase from his head, but Sean looked like a million bucks, now; like nothing else transpired in the last twenty-four hours. 

“Hey,” Mark greeted.

“Hey,” Sean replied.

“You look better.”

“Feeling better, too. How’re they doin’?” Sean asked motioning a hand to the cattle. 

“Good. I’ve also checked the fence, got the water, and checked the front of the house.”

“You also finished the shed for them too, I see.”

“Yeah. They seem to like it.”

“Any zombies today?”

“None around here.”

“Shit. Haven’t seen one in weeks, then. We’re due for a horde any time now.”

“Oh, don’t say that. We’re not equipped for that,” Mark groaned.

“Have you been through one?” Sean asked seriously.

“Actually…no. You?”

Sean stepped over to Mama. She lifted her head at his presence. Mark stood tall wiping his hands on his pants waiting patiently for Sean to answer.

“Just once,” Sean said. “It was one of the scariest moments in my life.” He started petting Mama absentmindedly enjoying her coarse fur in his hands. 

“What was it like?” Mark inquired.

Sean sighed to himself before continuing. “It was quite an adventure; like being stuck in a crowded amusement park, shoulder to shoulder with people. They were just herding themselves, shuffling along like mindless sheep. It was when I got stuck during the first set of attacks around the hotel I worked in. Remember how I said I got in my car and drove off?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, I had to drive through them, first. It was a bloody massacre…live people banging on my car door begging for help…someone actually jumped on my car…but he was grabbed by a bastard and…oh god it was a nightmare. There was so much blood everywhere…oh god…” Sean almost started whimpering at the memory pressing his hands into his temples. Mark stood from where he was wiping his hands off of the dirt and grime from the day. “It was insane! Driving over all those people…and left and right of me people attacking each other like lunatics. Fuck, I can still hear the screams.” Sean was nearly on the verge of tears at this point, just resting his hands on Mama’s neck. She looked to the right and slowly lumbered away from Sean to go lay down in the hut. Sam trotted up to Sean, bumping his leg with his nose. The Irishman wiped his eyes, smiling down at the creature before petting his mane. “Hi, Sam.” Mark was approaching Sean slowly wanting to make sure he was okay, too.

“That’s fucking terrible…” Mark said when he stepped right up to the younger man. Sean looked up at him, his eyes watery. “…I’ll finish up out here. Go on inside, get a snack or something. I brought back plenty of food for us.”

“I saw. Thank you, Mark…and for what it’s worth, I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“For freaking out…I mean, jaysus, I went way too far…I thought-I thought you left me…I don’t know why I did, I just…I’m sorry,” Sean blubbered out. Mark couldn’t take it anymore. He stepped closer and brought the young Irishman into an embrace. 

“It’s okay. I promise, it’s okay,” Mark whispered to him gently as he felt Sean return the hug and Sean buried his head into the crook of his neck. Sean sobbed into his shoulder for a few minutes, sniffling. He soon pulled back and looked Mark in the eye. God, Sean’s eyes were stunning. Piercing, fierce…while his own eyes were soft and warm. 

“Did you mean it?” Sean asked quietly.

“What?”

“Did you mean what you said this morning…?”

Mark hesitated trying to remember what he said this morning. It had been a long day; his brain was a bit fried from working in the sun all day. Speaking of which, it was barely light out, now. The twilit night was sweeping over them like a cold blanket. Then, it hit him; the words he promised Sean this morning. "...Yes. I meant every word." He left it at that as butterflies filled his stomach from nervousness. He didn't lie, though. He truly meant everything he said. He adored Sean more than words could say. It didn't really feel like love, but maybe...it was starting to? He was a little confused, but that didn't matter. They would figure it out together.

Sean didn't say anything. Well, at least nothing out loud. Mark tried to gain any insight into his thoughts as they continued to stare at each other, but Sean kept them secret. He only nodded his head and walked into the house leaving Mark alone with the cattle. Mark sighed, running a nervous hand through his hair before returning back to finish his task of cleaning up the rusted nails from the ground.  
*******  
Mark slunk back into the house when the sun had completely gone down feeling gross. His hands were covered in dirt, his face, back, and chest were sweaty, and he knew he was a bit gamy from the long hours of labor. He wandered into the kitchen seeing Sean sitting at the table with his hands over his mouth, fingers neatly folded. He stares after him as Mark walks over to the sink.

“You look like shit,” Sean said from behind his hands.

“I feel like shit.”

“You smell like shit.”

“Then, I must be shit.”

“No shittier than yesterday,” Sean smirked. Mark huffed a giggle before he took his shirt off tossing it to the couch. He stood in front of the sink turning it on to wash his hands, face and ears, rinsing the day’s work away with cold water. It would do for the moment, anyway. They wasted a lot of hot water earlier this morning. 

Mark was too busy enjoying the cool sensation on his face not noticing the other man walking up behind him. Mark wiped the water from his face before he turned slowly feeling the presence of Sean hovering over him. He did his best not to jerk or flinch when he met Sean’s blue orbs. His face looked calm, questioning. Mark tilted his head a bit.

“Sean?”

Sean didn’t answer. Instead, he leaned forward angling his head to fit his soft lips against Mark’s in a small kiss. Mark visibly froze and his eyes widened trying to understand what was going on. His brain had a tough time registering that the man was kissing him in a meaningful way; in a way that would make any lucky girl melt into the earth. This was more than his brotherly pecks to his cheeks, or hair. This meant so much more. Be it love, appreciation, or lust, Mark didn’t know. But what he did know was that he was not reciprocating. He stood still and let Sean take over the intimate gesture stealing his muscles and trying to reduce his trembling. He wanted to desperately quiet the butterflies in his stomach; their loud fluttering echoing in his guts. He didn’t move, planting his feet on the floor boards.

After a short amount of time that felt like an eternity, Sean pulled away from his friend, slowly opening his eyes. He was thankful Mark didn’t punch him. Sean’s own stomach was doing flips; his crotch burned and his mind went into a spiral of confusion. He just had to do it though. It just… felt right. He was just glad to have a live person return his affections, even if they were platonic.

“Sleep in my bed with me tonight?” Sean whispered to him. “Please.”

“Sean, I-I thought you weren’t…”

“I’m not, but I can’t help how I’m feeling right now. I can’t really explain it other than…I just…miss having a warm body next to me. I miss being close to people; I miss not being able to love those I used to. Signe can’t return those affections…I…I’ve tried…I can’t get through to her and I’m losing hope…Being with you, though, has brought that hope back. That I’m still capable of loving anyone. Lest I go insane. I can’t say that this is in fact love, but it feels like the start of it. I’d really understand if you don’t feel the same way, but just for companion’s sake, would you share my bed with me tonight? I promise nothing sexual will happen; just some solidarity next to me will continue to give me hope.”

Mark’s heart sank. All this time they had been living together and Sean still felt lonely. To be honest, he was very touched that he got to see this side of Sean and wanted nothing more than to make him happy. Mark was a good person by nature and he felt the need to protect his friend at any chance, any peril, or any sign of unhappiness. Maybe what he was feeling wasn’t love, but it was definitely appreciation. Plus, Sean’s eyes were pleading with him to grant this one wish, even if it was just for a night. Nothing sexual would happen; this would just be a platonic sleep over. Mark could oblige to that. Sean cleaned up really nicely from this morning. It’s almost as if he never got drunk, or vomited, or…tried to get Signe to return his affections. Oh, Sean. He pursed his lips at the memory.

“Okay,” Mark nodded his head. “I can do that. Nothing sexual?”

Sean shook his head with a big smile on his features. “Promise. If you feel uncomfortable at any time, just say so. Or, just leave. Either way.”

Mark nodded and smiled back grateful that his butterflies were settling in his stomach. He could now focus on the rational side of things.   
**********  
The two men headed upstairs. Mark made it into the bedroom, the puddle of puke long gone, while Sean took his turn brushing his teeth and going through his nightly routine in the bathroom.  
Mark just lay there on the bed staring at the ceiling listening to their running water. He sighed to himself and tried his best to keep calm. He couldn’t really figure out why he was so nervous about this night. Nothing was going to happen.

Granted, he did feel a little sexually lonely himself, but that would be asking too much too fast from his friend. Maybe they could masturbate mutually? Or, they could….

Mark was pulled from his thoughts when he heard Sean enter the room. He quietly shut the door behind him before crawling into bed next to Mark. Ceremoniously, Mark shuffled over giving Sean plenty of space to get comfortable. It took the Irishman a minute, but eventually, his body found a comfortable position on the soft mattress bringing the cover up to his waist and settling with lying on his left side facing Mark. Sean let out a yawn causing Mark to yawn with him. Both men smiled before peeking at each other. 

They locked eyes for a second and Mark felt his cheeks blushing at the soft staring of his friend. Mark felt as though Sean was going to kiss him again given that his friend had a longing kind of stare behind his eyes. His stomach did flips, again waiting for Sean to move. Mark kept telling himself there would be nothing sexual going on. That nothing sexual would happen. 

But what if…

“Mark?”

“Yeah?” Mark responded gently being pulled from his thoughts. 

“Thank you for doing this. It…actually means a lot.”

“Y-yeah, no problem.”

“You’re nervous,” Sean stated as a look of concern crossed his features.

“I-I guess I am a little,” Mark replied quietly trying to keep his nerves at bay. He felt a bit awkward not knowing exactly where this was heading. His mind was filled with complicated feelings and scenarios.

That’s when Sean scooted closer to him. Mark jumped a small bit and then heard Sean ask, “Penny for your thoughts?”

Mark couldn’t help but giggle a little at the question before speaking. “I uh…I have…weird thoughts in my head… to be honest.”

“Like?” Sean prodded.

“Like…sexual thoughts.”

“Oh.”

There was a short silence between them as Sean gathered his thoughts.

“I told you earlier, I didn’t want to do anything sexual, but… now I’m curious…did you…want…to?” Sean asked carefully.

Mark blushed heavily causing his stomach to do flips really fast. He didn’t know what to think or say. Truth be told, he felt like an idiot for saying anything. Then again, they agreed on no more secrets; no more lying; no more hiding. But then did that mean he was gay, or just lonely? Or was this a blossoming new feeling he just been denying himself? He didn’t know. There was so much internal conflict going on that he couldn’t really think straight. On the one hand, he was honestly feeling pent up, sexually. Then again, he was able to control himself and not have to give into those urges. They haven’t come across a live female in so long that he’d forgotten what sex felt like. Okay, he was kidding himself. Mark did miss sex a lot, but…could he actually satisfy his urges with another male? It would be different; no doubts there. But, where would that leave them in the end? Would they get into a relationship after they hypothetically had a night of passion as if they lain with a woman, or would it be a one time thing just to ease the tension and sexual frustration? More so, what if he wasn’t good enough? He’d never experimented with a guy before so it would be very awkward. If they went through with this, would he be lousy at it?

“Mark?” Sean said aloud pulling him from his thoughts once more.

“Sorry,” Mark replied. He then turned over onto his back to look up at the ceiling feeling frustrated with his inner thoughts. They really needed to take a backseat and he needed to relax. This was too much at once. “Just thinking.”

“Too much?” Sean asked beside him.

“…yeah; a little bit.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to put you into an existential crisis. I was just curious if you were having those thoughts.”

Mark turned his head towards the Irishman. “Do you?”

Sean swallowed before answering, “Sometimes.”

Mark blinked at him astounded. “Oh.”

“Yeah. A-and I, again, I can’t explain it. I’m straight; I guess I just miss the closeness so much and you’re an attractive guy; not to mention sweet, loyal, caring…I just…God, I sound like an idiot right now.”

Sean sat up in bed after that and rubbed his eyes with his fingers. Mark propped himself up on his elbows and stared at Sean’s back. In the darkness, he could outline the pale back. He waited patiently for Sean to catch his breath and pull himself together. 

“I’m sorry. I guess I’m just angry at the world we live in now and I’ve been backed up for a while, not being able to do anything about it. I mean, I have relieved myself on my own, but it’s not the same, you know?” Sean said as he continued rubbing his eyes. “…and…of course…you know…” He didn’t want to say it out loud. Mark kept quiet, just listening to his friend’s voice.

“I understand,” Mark said carefully. Sean turned to look down at him.

“I mean…I hate to ask this…it sounds so selfish…but…here it goes…would you ever consider…maybe…fooling around with me?” Sean asked slowly.

“Where would that leave us when we’re done?” Mark retorted dead serious. 

“Is that a yes?” Sean asked as he leaned down until he was lying on his side next to Mark again. Mark followed his with his eyes and scooted closer to him until they were almost chest to chest. He laid his head on his pillow looking Sean in the eyes. Mark was enraptured by how bright and hopeful they were. Sean had been thinking about this a lot; definitely a lot more than Mark has. Mark felt really stupid for not picking up on it earlier. He also felt really stupid for having inner homophobic thoughts. There was no doubt that they were both questioning the proposal, their inner selves, the consequences, and the feelings of the moment. Maybe this would be a good thing. It would ease the tension around them and they could focus more on surviving instead of their homophobic thoughts. As long as this act is consensual, who would care? Sean was an attractive man in more ways than one. He was handsome, courageous, and clever. He was everything Mark wished he could be, some days. If they both took the plunge on this, there was no turning back. Mark would want this to be as less awkward as possible. Maybe they should just go ahead and do it; get it out of the way, as it were. Mark didn’t want to be a dick, though. And no one said they had to go all the way. What if they just kissed and masturbated over each other, or something. Maybe they don’t even need to touch each other just yet…but then what would be the point of that? Mark sighed quietly at this inner fight in his head. 

You know what…

“Fuck it,” he mumbled.

“What?” Sean asked. Mark had stayed quiet for so long Sean had closed his eyes about to drift to sleep.

“I said fuck it. Let’s just do it,” Mark replied with a shaky voice.

Sean blinked having his body fully revive back to wakefulness. “Are – are you sure?”

“Again, don’t make me think too much harder about it. My head is about to explode.”

Sean giggled. “O-okay then. When?”

“I’m too tired right now and I have no idea; when it’s right, I guess…but if you want we could, uh…cuddle for tonight; see how we feel about it. We can rock, paper, scissors who gets to be the top spoon.”

“No need; that’s an easy choice,” Sean said. “I’m the little spoon.”

“I figured as much.”

“Hey, in case you haven’t noticed, I like to be held.”

“I did notice.”

“Good. I’m turning over,” Sean said as he shifted his entire body over until his back was facing Mark.

Mark lifted up on his side and carefully brought his arm up, over, and around Sean’s waist resting his hand underneath his flank. Mark pulled himself flush against Sean’s back until he was nestled. He kept his hips at a good distance for now not wanting to freak Sean out due to his half hard-on. He rested his head right behind Sean’s until he got comfortable. Mark opened his mouth to yawn ghosting his breath over Sean’s neck ruffling his hair. Sean shifted in his grip until his back touched Mark’s chest. As best as he could, Sean grabbed for Mark’s hand and entangled their fingers together.   
“Is this okay?” Mark asked gingerly.

“It’s fine…I’m quite comfortable, actually,” Sean murmured.

“…me, too,” Mark admitted. They were silent for a few moments their hands lingering together. Mark shifted on his side trying to be respectful. And then, something inside of him sparked an impulse to return the kiss Sean had given him earlier. He steeled his nerves, leant forward, and lightly brushed his lips over Sean’s neck with a quick, soft peck. He could feel Sean tense a small bit as he pulled back to rest his head on the pillow. “Good night, Sean.”

“Night,” Sean replied trying to ignore the shudder and butterflies in his gut at the tender gesture.

They closed their eyes and let their dreams take them away.


	15. We Need to Talk

Mark blinked himself awake gazing around the brightened room in slight confusion. He realized he was in Sean’s room, in Sean’s bed, and that Sean was propped up next to him a slight distance away, still sleeping soundly, breathing lightly in and out. In the night, Sean had broken out of his grasp and was now lying on his stomach with his face turned toward the door. Small bits of their conversation from last night were crawling around in Mark’s head as he lay there awake, but not quite ready to get out of bed just yet. If he didn’t know any better, he could have sworn this was just another chapter in his life where zombies didn’t exist and they were not housing an undead carcass downstairs. How the fuck are they this lucky? Mark blinked a few times before stretching out. He suppressed a growl trying not to wake the man next to him as his muscles relaxed. He really didn’t want to get up, but nature was calling, threatening to spill over if he didn’t get up. His dick was also half hard, which didn’t help the situation after remembering the conversation from last night. Carefully, he sat up in bed, looking down at the slumbering man. Sean’s chest rose and fell lightly, his hair fluffy and soft looking. Mark couldn’t help but smile at the soft man before he scooted off the end of the bed making his way into the hallway toward the bathroom. 

Sean stirred slightly behind him and raised a hand to his eyes to rub them. Mark silently made his way into the bathroom scratching his neck as he went. When he got to the toilet, he realized he still had some morning wood going on and it was hard for him to aim to relieve himself. He tried to will it down so relief would be easy, but nothing seemed to help. As best as he could, Mark aimed and emptied himself trying his best not to splash somewhere he shouldn’t. Morning wood was normal, but Mark knew the recurring thoughts from last night sprouted the dick to life. It was waiting in anticipation. Embarrassingly enough, Mark felt the urge. His body was asking for sexual relief, now. A part of his mind went to the thought of surprising Sean in bed with a kiss and going all the way from there. Of course, this is reality; and reality morally dictates that this act, whenever it will happen, will be consensual, well thought out, and meaningful. Right now he just needed quick release. Knowing that Sean was awake, however, Mark swiped his leaking tip clean, rinsed his sweaty palms, and retreated to his own room closing the door behind him. 

Mark walked over to the bed quietly lying down on the soft bed sheet. He slowly dipped his hand into his underwear wrapping his fingers around himself, giving it a gentle squeeze and touch. He groaned softly to himself trying not to be disturbing. He didn’t hear Sean leave the other room yet, but he still wanted to be quiet about this. This was his problem; he would handle it on his own.   
That didn’t stop his mind from wandering, however. He first thought of his girlfriend, Amy as he stroked himself up and down slowly. He imagined it was her skill-full hand at play working him up. He imagined her sucking him down and he could almost see her blonde hair as he thrusted upwards into his closed fist quicker and quicker. He closed his eyes tightly as he flattened his back on the bed, imagining Amy go to town on his dick. When he opened his eyes again and looked down, however, her hair changed to green. Her breasts disappeared, she grew black facial hair, and sprouted a large cock between her legs. His mind had transformed his beautiful girlfriend into a beautiful Irishman instead as he worked himself faster and faster. He imagined Sean closing his eyes and sucking his cock down like a pro from a porno movie, his lips glistening with spittle running down the sides of his shaft. Mark imagined Sean’s tongue swirling back and forth around the tip and underside that sent real life shivers down his spine. 

Mark was too immersed in his fantasy to stop himself from moaning loud enough for Sean to hear across the hallway. It was so good, though…he didn’t care; he just needed to finish. He was so close…  
“Oh shit…Sean…” he moaned out loud into the empty room.

Mark looked down at himself and found both his girlfriend and Sean simultaneously working his shaft between their lips and mouths. They nibbled up the sides with their soft lips before swirling their talented tongues over the tip and large blue vein. Mark was in heaven right now enjoying the imaginary view of these two working together to bring him to a desperately needed completion. He keened on the bed, using his other hand to desperately grab the sheet beneath him. 

The image was so vivid, so real, that his brain placed a pair of lips against his own chapped ones. His lust filled brain had brought Amy up from her position to plant a kiss square on the mouth tangling their tongues together while Sean remained over his legs sucking him in to the back of his throat as far as he could go. Mark began twisting his own nipples remembering how sensitive they are which made him squirm even harder on the bed, his hips practically moving on their own at this point. Mark shuddered and moaned against her imaginary mouth tensing his entire body as his orgasm crept up on his body, making a knot in his stomach. The familiar burning sensation was almost built to the top; he was ready to explode. He quickly worked himself harder in his hand. He was going so fast, he may need a fire extinguisher if he was not careful.

“Fuck, aha, ahhh, fuck, shit…! Fuck!!!”

Mark grunted loudly as he came harder than he had in months. His fantasies got the best of him with this one. He felt the hot sticky fluid cover his fingers and even shoot past them to land on his chest. Muscle spasms wrecked his whole body making the whole bed jitter underneath him. Sweat covered his brow, his back stuck to the sheets beneath him as sweat cascaded over his back muscles. Mark swallowed and took a breath, calming his pounding heart. A blush covered his cheeks as he realized just how loud he actually was. No doubt his friend had heard him…shit. Granted, after their conversation from last night, hopefully this wasn’t too awkward for the Irishman. It was his idea to fool around, anyway. And…he may be falling in love with the American. Mark…might have been falling in love with him, too. The soft kiss of the lips against his last night turned his stomach in a delicious, yet confusing way. It was still all complicated to really determine if he was indeed in love with Sean, but Mark couldn’t help the imagery in his head of those soft Irish lips wrapped around his cock. The way they touched each other, spoke to each other, just getting near him, all pointed to the fact that yes…he was in love. 

Well, fuck.  
**************  
After he cleaned himself up the best he could, Mark came out of the bedroom in fresh clothes. Not surprised that Sean was already downstairs, Mark made his way with a sheepish frown into the living room. The waft of death hit his nose and he immediately winced at the stench. Sean had gone into the basement, the door swinging open on its hinge. He walked over to the dark doorway doing his best to not retch, his stomach in knots. 

“Sean?” he called out.

“Yeah,” a faint yell came from the open basement door down the stairs.

“What are you doing?”

“Debating,” Sean replied.

“About…?” Mark inquired…but then it hit him. Sean was thinking about bringing Signe up into the house. “Sean, are you sure you want to do this, today?”

“She hates it down here, Mark. She needs some kind of sunshine,” Sean replied, sadness in his voice. 

“Do you need help?”

“…I don’t know how she’s going to react to you. I don’t want her to get frightened,” Sean called up to him from the darkness.

Mark braced himself against the sturdy frame of the doorway biting his lip and sighing through his nose with a nervous breath. Sean was right. Mark hasn’t officially met her yet; who knows what she’ll do when she sees him. This would be all new to her, and they had no idea how she was going to react to anything up here, let alone a total stranger. Not so much a stranger as he could be, but she knew Sean better; plain and simple. Okay.

“You may want to step back. We’re coming up,” Sean called up to him from the bottom of the stairs. Mark sighed again and did as he was told making sure to step away from the open door to let them come up. He listened intently to the careful footsteps, the soft growls, and the shuffling of their feet climbing the creaking steps.

“There ya go, one step at a time. Careful,” Sean murmured to her as they made their way up. Mark stepped back even further when he saw the Sean was backing out of the stairwell, gently pulling Signe by a pole. One of those dog catcher poles you see in a veterinary office. It was extended only so far, a good distance to keep between them so she wouldn’t turn on Sean. Mark watched as she ascended into the house, her feet dragging on the floor, soft grunts and unstable movements accompanying her decaying form. Her body was intact for the most part; her legs were the most exposed as she was only wearing a large t-shirt, covering just below the meatless hips. Her muscles were all sinew and bone, her face sunken at the cheeks and around her eye sockets. She was missing some of her back teeth and some parts of her black colored muscles were exposed through expanding fissures of gray tissue. Mark frowned at the sight before glancing at Sean, trying to hide the mournful look in his eyes. This was no way for her to live. Well, live as in just…existing. Could they even consider her alive? 

Sean was too concentrated on Signe as she grunted, twisting her head slowly to look around at her new surroundings. Her eyes landed on Mark and he instantly froze in place planting his feet on the floor boards. Signe pulled her lip back in a light fashion, but didn’t utter a syllable. Her head continued its journey around the living room and kitchen, seeing all this after god knows how long she’s been down there. Mark released his breath, his heart pounding behind his ribs. Signe grunted through her teeth her head swiveling on her shoulders as her body readjusted to the light, the air…maybe the smell? Could zombies smell? That would be something they could study. Mark was generally curious. They had their hearing, sight, and touch; could she smell distasteful things like nail polish, or alcohol? Coffee? Damn, he’s enthralled to learn. And this whole time, Signe never made a move to get to Mark. Even when their eyes met, she genuinely didn’t seem interested in snacking on him. It could’ve just been these circumstances, given this her first light of day since in a long time. Maybe she didn’t feel the need for human flesh anymore; so many questions.

“Help me get her to the table,” Sean suddenly said calmly out of nowhere. Mark blinked before looking up at him, pulling himself from his wandering thoughts. 

“R-right,” Mark replied with a nod before moving slowly to the table. Signe watched him with interest as he pulled a chair out from the table watching Sean force her to walk towards it. She grunted with hearty puffs of air. Zombies don’t breathe, but Mark couldn’t compare it to anything else. Theoretically, it wasn’t a breath; it may be just a forced air escaping the mouth. He wasn’t sure.

Sean managed to get her to the chair but stopped once her legs bumped into it. 

“Um…shit. How do we get her to sit down?” Mark asked sheepishly.

“We trade places. She’s pretty used to me touching her by now. Hold the pole and I’ll help her sit,” Sean replied with a shaky breath. Mark swallowed putting some good distance between her and himself as he walked around to grab the end of the pole. She followed his movement, sluggishly tilting her head in a squeamish fashion. Mark winced internally at the sight as he grabbed the end of the pole from Sean. The Irishman stepped away from him and guided him to stand in front of her at the correct distance while Sean steeped right in front of her merely inches from her body. He sighed and lifted his hands, placing them gently on her shoulders. She didn’t even flinch. Signe kept her eyes on him, moving her own jaw back and forth in its hinge, releasing short gasps. “Signe? Can you hear me, sweetie? I need you to do something for me. Can you sit down? Please? Remember what we been practicing? Hmm?” He spoke so softly to her it was like a light whisper. 

Mark watched Sean carefully, keeping a metaphorical ear and eye out for any trouble. Gripping the pole until his knuckles turned white, Mark watched the delicate scene like a hawk, giving Sean the inch of a doubt that he knew what he was doing. Signe didn’t move, though. She just kept staring blankly at her former boyfriend as if she couldn’t hear him at all. “Signe?” Sean choked up before he regained his composure. “C.mon, babe. Sit down…please.” The Irishman pushed down on her shoulders and at first she remained sturdy. But, Sean was insistent and eventually, he was able to get her to sit down on the chair. Mark sighed out loud when Sean stepped back from her, going behind her, and ran his fingers over her head. “Good job, sweetie. See? You’re learning. I’m so proud of you.” Sean patted her on the head before he stepped into the living room. 

“What are you looking for?” Mark asked him.

“Her book,” he replied as he searched the bookshelf.

“Oh. She’s the Stephen King fan, huh?”

“She used to be. I wanted to see…aha! Here it is!” Sean exclaimed with excitement as he strolled back over to them, book in hand. “Found it. This was her favorite book. I thought we could start small and see if she might recognize it at all. I mean, if she knows what to do with a book.” He pulled up a chair next to her, sitting knee to knee with her practically. She looked in his direction, not doing much. Sean sighed and licked his lips. Mark gripped the pole just in case. “Signe? I brought you something. You haven’t seen it in a long time, but I thought you might be happy if you have it, again. I’m going to grab your hand, okay?” Sean raised his hands to her and cautiously reached out to grab onto hers. Signe didn’t seem to mind much as she just looked off into space, merely flinching as Sean grabbed her delicate hands. Gently, he placed the book into her hands waiting for her to grasp it. 

Signe looked over the item in her hand, raising it closer to her face. Sean and Mark watched in awe as she handled the book, studying the cover, tearing the pages with her long fingernails as she mindlessly flipped through it. She made soft grunting noises as she brought the book to her face, rubbing the stiff pages against her cracked lips. She began nibbling the old pages with a tooth, her lips snarled upward in curious fashion.

“Signe, you goof. You can’t eat the pages. Then you wouldn’t have anything to read,” Sean smiled and slightly giggled as he reached over to pull the book down. She didn’t resist, but looked up with sudden interest. “Would you like me to read it to you?” Signe didn’t respond. She kept staring at him watching as he slowly pried the book from her hands. It popped free from her decaying digits, the pages rustling together. Sean sighed nervously as he pulled the book onto the table. 

“Think she remembers anything?” Mark asked loosening his grip on the pole. 

“I doubt it,” Sean said sadly. 

“…she seems docile. Think I can put the pole down?”

“…we can try. I still don’t know what she’ll do if she gets startled,” Sean murmured as he opened the book not looking up at him. Mark sighed and put the pole down on the table, the soft clanking noise making Signe look up. 

“I’ll stay back,” Mark replied as he pulled up the other chair and sat down. Sean didn’t acknowledge him as he turned the pages. Mark watched him, his eyes taking in Sean’s features, tracing his jaw and neck. Mark found himself day dreaming a little bit as he studied him. He was still so skinny. The beard on Sean’s face may have looked nice, but it covered months of self-torture, desperate survival instincts, and malnourishment. He thought back to the basement; the moment he discovered Signe down there and how desperate Sean was to protect her, to keep her safe. He thought about how he found Sean dick deep inside of her out of sheer desperation and poor judgement. He often wondered now how often Sean tried to…reason with her in that way, how long Sean was trying to keep an intimate relationship just for the sake of having someone to be there with him. Then, Mark thought about their shared kiss; how…soft it was, almost romantic. It was calculated, approachable, and full of hope that maybe something could happen between them. The kiss stirred his feelings, made him feel confused…but also willing. Mark smiled internally as he realized, he has officially fallen for this Irishman. 

“ ‘…and she turned to them, smiling her wide smile as they almost leaned in to each other…their lips inches away from one another…’” Sean was reading to Signe who seemed uninterested in his voice. His spoken narrative broke Mark from his own thoughts as he focused on listening to the softness filling the room. It was like reading to a child, even if she was an apathetic child. Sean’s quiet reading stirred up Mark’s stomach, the butterflies returning as he blissfully imagined that voice in his ear as they lay together in a soft bed. He imagined their hands roaming over each other, maybe awkwardly at first, but then with confidence over their torsos. Mark imagined wrapping the young man up close to his own barrel chest, maybe stealing a little kiss on the forehead. It was all too sweet.

Sean continued to read into the open air, not noticing Mark staring at him. It was like being in kindergarten again listening to someone you admire reading you a little story. Although, Signe wasn’t interested. In fact, she seemed a bit restless. Mark watched as she started to stand up, grunting as she did so. Sean stopped reading, looking up at her. Mark was about to grab the pole, until Sean stopped him, placing a hand on top of his from across the table. 

“Wait,” he said quietly. “Let’s see what she does.”

Mark stiffened as Signe pushed herself up off the chair she briefly glanced at Mark and he felt panic drop into his stomach. The moment was very fast, she turned away from him walking over to the back window. Sean stood up too, following up behind her at a great distance. Signe managed to get to the window curtains pushing them unintentionally aside staring out into the back yard. Sean approached her from behind as she started getting antsy. The Irishman looked over her shoulder and saw the two cattle wandering in the yard. Mama was chewing some food while Sam was nosing through the hay on the ground. Signe started growling at the window, bringing her arms and hands to the panes scratching at them desperately. Sean stood still not sure what to do. Mark approached with care

“Signe! What are you doing! Stop!” Sean yelled at her. She didn’t listen to him and without thinking, Sean walked up behind her grabbing her shoulder. “Damnit, Signe –“

That’s when she whirled around growling at him with a ferocious snarl. She reached her arms out snagging onto his shoulders baring her teeth at him. Sean screamed out as they fell to the floor, Signe’s death grip and gnashing teeth aiming for his face. Sean managed to put his forearm against her throat to keep her head at bay, some drool getting on his cheek. 

“Fuck! Signe, stop! It’s me! Please!” Sean screamed at her as loud as he could as they wiggled on the floor.

“Sean!” Mark snatched the pole from the floor and pulled her as hard as he could away from his friend. Signe fell to the side releasing her grip on Sean’s shirt. The startled Irishman rolled onto his side before standing up catching his breath. All the blood rushed from his face, leaving him pale and shaky. Mark managed to pull Signe a good distance from her former boyfriend, being careful not to rip any of her skin. He looked up at Sean who met his eyes. He was about to cry. Mark felt so bad for him. 

“S-she…she almost -! Fuck!” Sean turned in anger and screamed as he clutched his head. Mark just watched feeling sorry for him as he controlled Signe at the same time. She had stopped wriggling, her growls turning to moaning noises. 

“Sean. Sean!” Mark yelled at him to get his attention. Sean wasn’t listening to him. He tried again. “Sean! Help me get her up. She’s calmer now.” He hoped that maybe trying to reason would help bring Sean out of his head. The Irishman turned to him at that, cheeks smeared in his tears. “Sean, come on. I need your help.”

The distraught man wiped his face and nodded his head before walking over to them. He grabbed Signe from her waist with one arm as he used the other behind her neck to keep from turning to bite him. She indeed seemed a lot calmer, her grunts just filling the room. Sean hoisted her up, not even speaking to her like he would. Together, Mark and Sean led her to the basement. Sean took over, grabbing the handle from Mark.

“Go outside and get to work. I’ll take care of her,” Sean said solemnly.

“Sean, I’m-“ 

“Don’t. Just don’t. I’ll meet you out there,” Sean murmured before he guided her down the stairs into the darkness. 

Mark sighed before going back outside not able to shake the horrible feeling in his gut.  
**************  
The day went on without much more activity from her. Sean avoided talking about it entirely, his head reeling and working around the situation. From what Mark could tell, Signe never attacked him; ever. She only seemed to get really excited when she saw the outside. But it tore Sean up from the inside. He didn’t voice it, but Mark could just tell. 

They worked in tandem, tending to the cattle, working on collecting water and some of their vegetables from the garden. Sam was bumping Mark’s arm as he picked the veggies, making the man laugh and pat his head. Sean watched from over his shoulder as the two interacted. Mark caught him smirking and continued picking the garden. It wasn’t long after that when Mark started debating with himself about what happened to him the night he was in town. He never wanted to mention it to Sean, in the light of the events. They already had so much to worry about and who ever was following him in the streets that night, didn’t seem to know where they were. 

For now at least.

But, the more he thought about it, the guilty he felt. He knew it had to be discussed. He loved the man and they promised no more secrets. No more lies. Mark sighed as he put the veggies into his bag, setting it aside. He approached Sean who was working on a wooden plank in the fence. There was a weak spot knotted in the wood and Sean was prying if off the studs with a hammer.  
“Uh, Sean?” Mark sheepishly spoke to him.

“Yeah? What’s up? Everything okay?” Sean asked with a little worry in his voice as he stopped prying the wood apart.

Oh shit...Well, now or never, Mark supposed. 

“We need to talk.”


	16. This is Nice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some Sex in here.

“Are you sure?” Sean muttered under his breath as they sat at the kitchen table almost knee to knee. Mark’s leg was quaking underneath him, bouncing up and down while his heart dropped into his stomach. He felt so sick for not saying something sooner, but under the weird circumstances, it slipped his mind. So far, whoever was chasing him that night, seemed to be unaware of their location. Their street was quiet, the houses still empty, but Mark couldn’t keep this from him. Sean needed to know.

He explained everything; he explained everything that he knew. He explained the small group of zombies that cornered him in the store, and how he managed to escape from whoever was chasing him that night, how he checked over his shoulder every five feet to make sure the asshole didn’t follow him. Of course, he didn’t know if this person may have been able to track him at all, or be able to duck out of the line of sight. Truth be told, Mark wasn’t even sure if this asshole was just hiding out in their neighborhood, waiting for the right moment to strike. But Mark told Sean everything he knew, down to the last letter of his sentence. 

“…I’m like…ninety-five percent sure,” Mark answered with a nervous breath looking at him from behind his hands.

“That’s not very comforting,” Sean replied, looking at him side sight. 

“I know,” Mark sheepishly said. “I just needed to reassure myself.”

“What are we going to do?”

“We could leave.”

“And go where?”

“…I have no idea.”

“Fuck me…” Sean sighs in exasperation as he lays his head on his arms on the table. 

“What if we set traps around the house. That might thwart anyone from coming.”

“We’d draw too much attention to ourselves, basically just inviting people to find us.”

“I didn’t say we needed to build like a moat, or anything. I just meant some snares, or even a hidden pit.”

“I’m not digging a six foot hole.”

“Well no, me neither. But I mean…like a foot deep, filled with spikes?”

“…that might be doable. It might help my anxiety right now…”

“So, you agree then?”

“We could…I’m just…I just…fucking hell…” Sean tightly wrapped his arms around his head as he leaned forward on the table top, squeezing his eyes shut. Mark held his breath when he heard muffled sobs. 

Mark knitted his eyebrows and bit his lips. “Sean?” Sean didn’t look up. Mark sighed, reaching out to grasp the Irishman’s forearm to get his attention. “Sean, please look at me.” His gentle pleading seemed to work. Sean raised his head from his arms looking at him with a tear streaked face and red cheeks. Mark was suddenly unsure of what to say. He desperately wanted to tell him that everything would be okay, that they would survive this together. Mark wanted to reassure him that they would be alright. But the truth hurts…and the truth here is…he had no idea if everything would be alright. They have what they have; it’s the best they got. 

Mark was about to say something until Sean lifted Mark’s hand to his lips placing a kiss against his knuckles. Mark’s breath caught in his throat when their eyes met, his crotch rousing in his jeans. Mark waited. He waited for Sean to say something; he waited for him to say, just, anything. Sean turned in his chair, bringing himself closer to Mark not letting go of his hand. The Irishman sighed, blinking his eyes slowly.

“…I love you,” Sean whispered between them.

“…what?”

“…I think I love you,” Sean whispered again meeting Mark’s dark brown eyes with his own striking blue ones.

“Sean-“

“You don’t have to say it back. I just wanted to, ya know…get it out there before shit hits the fan. I mean…I know I’ve kissed you and everything, and you’ve laid with me in bed, but I know that doesn’t mean –“ Sean was rambling.

“I love you too,” Mark blurted out interrupting Sean’s rambling.

The room fell quiet as they both just stared at each other trying to comprehend what they both just said out loud. The earth seemed to quit rotating, birds dropped dead and time froze. They finally said it. Mark finally admitted it out loud. He’d fallen in love and expressed it. 

It felt good. It felt nice. He expected it to be awkward, foreign on his tongue because he’d never fallen for a man before. It all seemed right, though. No one was around to judge them…they had each other and with all the shit they’d been through, this moment felt wonderful, that there is something in this god forsaken world to look forward to. It just felt…good. 

After an eternity, Sean released his hand and stood up from his chair looking down at him his mouth slightly ajar. He licked his lips looking down and back up again nervously. Mark thought Sean was about to bolt and he didn’t want that. So, the American stood up, too, keeping am inch or so between their chests. 

The kiss was mutual and gentle between them, their lips lightly caressing each other. Sean was the first to wrap his hand around the back of Mark’s neck, bringing them a little closer together, chest to chest, their breaths moving in tandem. Mark put his hands on Sean’s waist as they continued to kiss one another. Sean pulled back so they could breathe after a minute, nuzzling into Mark’s broad chest, wrapping his arms around his torso.

“You have no idea how happy that makes me,” Sean finally said against Mark’s shirt. “This is nice…”

“This is nice…I think it was inevitable, anyway. This was destiny I think,” Mark chuckled lightly. Sean chuckled too pulling his head back to look at him. 

“Sleep with me tonight?” Sean asked.

“Someone’s gotta make sure you stay out of trouble.”

“When you say trouble…”

Mark laughed. “I mean –“

“-Making sure I don’t masturbate without you, kind of trouble?” Sean said winking at him with a smirk.

“…you heard me, huh?”

“Some of it,” Sean shrugged.

“…what did you hear?”

“My name…”

Mark swallowed the lump in his throat. “Oh…hope I didn’t creep you out.”

“Nah. It’s all good,” Sean said calmly as he rubbed his hands in circles against Mark’s back. “I heard a little and then walked off. I didn’t want to be a creep, either.”

“If it’s any consolation, I wasn’t paying attention.”

Sean laughed. “I wouldn’t either if I was enjoying myself that much!”

“Hey, I’m just trying to make you feel better, here,” Mark joked. It felt nice to laugh and joke again.

“I’m curious…what was I doing to you?” Sean asked.

Mark immediately blushed as the memory flooded his mind of Sean on his knees sucking him down until he came. “You…were…sucking me.”

“Oh? Go on,” Sean encouraged as he lowered his hands down Mark’s back, making the American shudder.

“I...imagined you on your knees…and you were really good at it…just, sucking me…loving on me…and it was amazing…” Mark stammered when Sean’s palms came to rest on the top of Mark’s jeans. They didn’t move any further than that; Sean just rested them there as he hummed against Mark’s chest. 

“What would you say if…I did that in real life,” Sean murmured. 

“…only if you want to,” Mark murmured back, suppressing the jolt of arousal in his gut. “Have you ever done it before?”

“No, but it shouldn’t be too hard and I’m a quick learner,” Sean said contemplative. Mark laughed to himself. “What?”

“’Hard’…”

“Really, Mark?” Sean exclaimed in a fit of laughter.

“It was too easy!” Mark explained.

Sean rolled his eyes stepping away from Mark, chuckling. “C’mon. We have some work to do. And I’ll show you ‘hard’ later. It’s a promise.”  
**************  
It was late into the evening when the men finished their tasks. Mark prepared a small trap along different areas of the fence making sure to keep Mama and Sam from approaching them. It would suck if one of them broke an ankle or something stupid. Mark compiled some sharpened pieces of wood, stuffing them point up in the foot deep holes along the fence, being careful not to draw too much attention to themselves. Sean had hidden away on the upper floor, keeping an out over the neighborhood for any signs of movement or trouble while Mark set to work. Sean had a nice little set up going. He loaded a rifle and rested the barrel tenderly on the window sill, finger on the trigger. He kept a keen eye on the streets and homes on the street, being sure to keep himself out of sight as best he could with blankets over his head. Sean hadn’t seen any movement since Mark set to work. There was nothing but wind going through the trees, a few dead leaves swirling on the pavement as the day wore on. Sean licked his lips from time to time, shifting on the chair he was sitting on due to his butt going numb every once in a while. Before they both knew it, the day was over, the moon rising high into the sky, and the cows were nestled in their little shed sleeping together. Mark dusted his hands of the loose soil covering his palms before gathering the supplies to bring back into the house. He locked the back door and trudged upstairs into the little room Sean was nesting in. The Irishman turned to look at him, sipping on some cold tea he’d made awhile ago, smiling up at him. 

“Hey,” Sean greeted him with a soft expression.

“Hey,” Mark replied with a little smirk. “I’m assuming the world has burnt to a crisp and we’re already dead?”

“And I’m a figment of your imagination, yep,” Sean laughs lowly at him. 

“Well damn, I missed out then. But I guess I can still imagine you sucking my dick,” Mark laughed. 

“I’m still pretty good, you know, even if I’m not real,” Sean joked back.

Mark was feeling aroused beyond reason, his penis springing to life in his pants at the memory. He swallowed the lump in his throat hoping Sean didn’t notice. He cleared his throat. “Well…do you still want to test it out?”

Sean bit his lips in nervousness, looking at the window and then up at Mark. “…do you?”

“Wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t,” Mark replied in all seriousness. 

Sean smiled a closed mouth smile and stood from the chair, being sure to put the safety button on the rifle and leaving it on the sill. “How about we freshen up first and then we can…see where this goes.”

“I’d like that,” Mark said with a soft grin.   
**************  
They entered the bathroom together, lighting a candle on the sink to illuminate the room. They undressed themselves stepping into the tub and closing the shower curtain behind them. Sean turned the water on, letting the coolness flow over them. He kept it luke warm for their bodies, pulling the lever up so the spray cascaded down their torsos. Mark was the first to wash himself, rubbing the small bar of soap over the skin of his hands, arms, torso and legs. Mark lathered the soap in his hands before handing it off to Sean letting the Irishman wash himself as he set to work cleaning his crotch and hair. Both men were covered in the soap from head to toe and as they worked, their elbows bumped into each other every so often. They’d just mutter apologies and keep going until they were ready to rinse. Sean rinsed off first, scrubbing his skin until the suds pooled at his feet in the tub. He wiped his face of the water opening his eyes to see Mark scrubbing his face with his eyes scrunched shut. The Irishman giggled as he reached out a hand to guide Mark under the shower spray. Mark didn’t protest as the warm water covered his body ridding him of the cool smelling soap. He did freeze, however, when he felt Sean’s hands rub his shoulders.

“Helping you rinse,” Sean said like this was nothing. Mark just nodded enjoying the contact. Sean’s hands traveled to different areas on his body, helping wipe away the suds, the extra water droplets. 

Cunningly, Sean encircled his arms around Mark’s chest, wiping away the suds on his pectorals, resting his own chest on Mark’s back. Mark sighed leaning back into him, enjoying the extra warmth. Mark did his best to keep his arousal at bay, just wanting to enjoy the sensation. Sean leaned over and kissed his shoulder tenderly. Mark couldn’t help the little moan that escaped his throat at the gesture. 

The sound encouraged Sean to kiss him again and again, just little quick kisses traveling up his neck behind his ear, not focusing on the shower any more. Mark hated to interrupt him, but they needed to take this to the bedroom. He leaned over to stop the flowing water, pressing the lever down. Sean sighed and wiped his mouth as they exited the tub grabbing their towels. 

They dried themselves as they walked into the bedroom, Sean closing the door behind them. Mark sat on the bed with a sigh, drying the last of his hair before chucking the towel on the floor. He watched in contented awe as Sean dried himself, both of them still fully naked. Mark’s eyes traveled up and down the Irishman’s lithe body taking in the chiseled muscles. He noticed a few scars here and there, noticed the hard work he’s put himself through. Sean turned to him and Mark’s eyes fell to Sean’s cock. Sean was half hard already.

Mark’s own dick started swelling as he became aroused, his cock resting against his thigh. He licked his lips as Sean approached him and stood in front of him. Their eyes met as Sean smiled. 

“Ready?” the Irishman asked lowly. Mark could only nod his head as he was a bit awe struck at the circumstances. He swallowed before they began.

Sean gently pushed him back onto the bed and both men crawled up to the head board, Mark on his back against the pillows and Sean on his hands and knees bracketing the American beneath him. He leaned forward capturing Mark’s lips with his own as he settled between the strong thighs, grazing their mouths together. He slowly started to massage Mark’s torso with a free hand, his fingertips grazing over a nipple. Mark gasped into his mouth, letting Sean pull back dislodging them. 

“S-sorry,” Mark whispered. “Sensitive.”

“Good to know,” Sean replied with a sly smile. He leaned back in, latching onto Mark’s adam’s apple, licking and sucking on the flesh there making Mark moan again. 

“W-wait, Sean.”

“Hmm?” he said against his skin taking his lips off. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I just…how far did you want to take this?”

“To be honest, I was looking forward to sucking you off and maybe jerking off.”

“…I can suck you off.”

“…are you sure?”

“Yeah. Did you want…?”

“Not right now. We don’t need to ‘go all the way’ or anything like that,” Sean reassured him.

“Okay, I’m fine with that.”

“Do you want to keep going?” Sean asked against his skin as he tweezed Mark’s nipple with his fingers making the bigger man gasp.

“Yes, please. I might just come from you doing that if you’re not careful.”

“I’d like to see that one day,” Sean teased as he kissed his way down Mark’s neck to his collar bone. Mark arched his back when Sean reached his other nipple taking the hardened bud into his mouth while playing with the other one. Mark moaned out twisting his hands into the bed sheets below them as Sean worked on his chest. The Irishman hummed around the nipple in his mouth as he brushed the sensitive skin with his warm tongue, swirling the areola with it enjoying Mark’s reactions. 

The American man couldn’t help it as he started brushing his hand through Sean’s green hair, which was now fading into a blonde yellow from normal wear and tear. Mark loved his green hair; it was shame he never went to beauty school. He could re-dye the locks to make the man shine again. But all was well. They were here, enjoying each other’s bodies, getting some much needed intimate contact they both were deprived of. 

Sean released his nipples, thank the gods, and worked his way down Mark’s stomach, pressing kisses and little kitten licks along his skin. Lips worshipped every muscle, every crease in the skin, every dip it could reach being sure to focus on sending shivers over Mark’s whole body. Mark wiggled under him, flexing his muscle taut over his skin and relaxing again at all the attention they were receiving from the teasing Irishman. Finally, Sean’s lips reached just below his navel, right in the middle of his little treasure trail and he paused. The head of Mark’s cock was touching the rough beard of Sean’s chin. This was it. This is what they’ve been building up to…it was like his first time all over again. The butterflies in his stomach were loud in his ears, his nerves were on fire from pleasure and fear at the same time. He didn’t know if he could do this now…Sean’s lips were so close…so close-

“Mark?”

“Y-yeah?”

“You alright?”

“I’m…” he paused not sure how to answer. ‘I’m okay…Just…nervous.”

“Just let me know,” Sean said sounding very patient. Mark swallowed and nodded his head.

“I’m okay, I’m okay. Go ahead.”

Sean hummed in acknowledgment before he pressed a little kiss to the head of Mark’s cock. His lips were only there for a second before the kisses were repeated over and over, moving down the shaft to the base. Mark shuddered under the attention as Sean kissed his way to the other side and trailed them back up to Mark’s tip. A small cum pearl formed out of the opening getting on Sean’s lips. Curiously, Sean lapped the little bead into his mouth tasting the precum. Sean slipped his tongue out tenderly swirling on the sensitive head making Mark’s cock jump against his lips. Mark moaned and bucked upwards trying to get more of the sweet friction, but Sean gently held his hips down never stopping his tongue’s movements. 

Carefully, Sean took Mark’s head into his warm mouth sucking on it, flattening the head against the roof of his mouth creating a vacuum of pleasure around the organ. Mark moaned again, carding his hand through Sean’s soft hair. “Oh Sean…fuck.”

The Irishman hummed as he slid his mouth off the tip only to take him in again slowly taking the cock deeper into his mouth, being careful of his teeth. Soon, Sean’s nose was buried in Mark’s pubic hair before he pulled back up, feeling every ridge on under the thin skin. 

Sean did it again, going back down, taking all of Mark into his mouth and coming back up until his head was bobbing fully up and down. Sean had a slow rhythm at first, but started to go faster and faster as Mark began to pump his hips upwards to meet his rhythm. Mark moaned and thrusted while Sean hummed and sucked, using a free hand to hold Mark’s testicles in his fingers. Slurping sounds filled the room joining in on Mark’s sounds of pleasure, spittle cascading down his shaft pooling on the sheets of the bed. 

“Sean…oh fuck, fuck, don’t stop, oh fuck! I’m-I’m gonna c-cum. I gotta cum,” Mark spewed through his panting breaths. 

And he came. 

Mark came into Sean’s mouth, nearly knocking Sean off of the bed as his body violently jerked under the Irishman. Sean rode it out taking in as much of his cum as he could until it seeped from the corners of his mouth, joining the pooling saliva in Mark’s pubic hair. 

As Mark came down from his high, Sean pulled his mouth up and off the American, holding the abundance of semen under his tongue. Sean patted Mark on the thigh before he crawled to the edge of the bed and spit the cum onto his own discarded towel. Mark wasn’t offended. He had no idea what cum tasted like and he didn’t really imagine it tasting good. 

“How was it?” Sean asked as he pulled himself back up and crawled up to Mark’s side.

“It was…awesome, actually,” Mark said without even thinking. He was telling the truth, though. It was incredible. “You’re…really good at that.”

“Thanks,” Sean says before kissing Mark on the cheek.

“Do you...I mean should I…?”

“If you’re unsure, I can just jerk off; it’s fine,” Sean reassured as he turned on his back, settling on the pillows and next to Mark. 

Sean licked his palm, coating it in his thick saliva before he reached down, grasping the shaft in his hand. Mark watched in curiosity, finally able to get a really good look at Sean’s big cock. Sean started out slow, pulling his foreskin down and away from his head before it was engulfed again. Sean was licking his lips, sucking in a breath, and squirming under his own hands as one slid up and down on his cock while the other was twisting a nipple, sliding up and down his own body, finally dipping under his balls. Mark swallowed watching in fascination at the amount pleasure Sean was giving to himself. His own mouth went dry as he imagined reaching out on his own to replace Sean’s own hand.

“You can touch me…please…please touch me?” Sean pleaded with him with a wanton voice. Mark only nodded before his dream came true. He reached out with a hand, placing it on Sean’s smooth stomach, running the fingers over his muscles. “…lower, please?”

He was sweetly begging…oh god. It made Mark’s dick spring back to life. But he obliged his friend, reaching down with the same hand wrapping his big hand over Sean’s smaller hand. Together, they moved their hands in sync up and down Sean’s cock, making his head appear and disappear with each movement. Sean starts to pant faster, sweat appearing on his brow at the amount of pleasure he is being dealt. Mark matched the rhythm even as they went faster. 

Eventually, Sean let go of his cock leaving Mark to jerk him off on his own. The Irishman was a moaning mess right now, throwing his head back against the head board one, hand grabbing the bed below them, and the other reaching out hold onto Mark. 

The American snuggled closer to Sean allowing the smaller man to wrap an arm around the back of his neck so his hand could strum Mark’s soft dark hair. He leaned his head until their foreheads were touching as Mark’s hand worked Sean’s cock up and down, using the left over spit and some of Sean's juices as lube. 

“Fuck, f-fuck…Mark, I’m…I’m-“ his breath hitched and his body shuddered.

“Go ahead, Sean. Go ahead and cum,” Mark whispered in his low baritone voice, pressing his lips to Sean’s temple in a kiss.

“Oh god!” Sean shouted as ribbons of cum spewed from the head of his cock, covering Mark’s dexterous fingers. Mark squeezed near the head of the cock, keeping the member upright until it was emptied out, dripping and sticking to Sean’s belly. The green haired man shuddered and jolted in pleasure under him, clinging hard to Mark’s meaty shoulders. Mark was cooing into his ear, sweet things; things like how he looked so sexy when he came. 

After a few minutes, Mark released his hold on Sean’s spent cock, which was starting to soften. Mark crawled off the bed careful not to knock into the spent man beside him, retrieving the forgotten towel on the floor. Wordlessly, Mark cleaned Sean’s belly and his own hand, making sure to get every little spot that he could. After they were cleaned, Mark crawled back up to the head board, lying next to Sean who was still high on his ecstasy. 

Mark pulled a light sheet over the top of them, wrapping their naked bodies in warmth as Sean turned into his arms hugging him close. Mark returned the embrace, running a hand through Sean’s hair as they both calmed their beating hearts and just indulged in being so intimately close. 

“That was…wow,” Sean stammered under his breath.

“Agreed,” Mark chuckled.

“Thank you…”

“I should be thanking you,” Mark retorted. “You took me in, let me stay…considering how we met. Honestly… I don’t know where I’d be without you, right now.”

“I’d be lonely as fuck, going slowly insane,” Sean said tiredly.

“I’d probably be dead.”

“I’m glad you’re not,” Sean whispered while tightening his hold on Mark, closing his eyes. He even leaned in pressing a little kiss to Mark’s jaw; just whatever he could reach. Sean resettled his head on the pillows, snuggling in. “I love you…”

Mark’s heart fluttered as he heard those words again, words he hasn’t heard for a long time. 

It was nice.


	17. Well, well, well...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some sexy stuff in the beginning.

Chilly morning air touched Mark’s nostrils as he slowly came to, out of a peaceful slumber with a touch of tiredness in his eyes. His shoulder was stiff and his neck was stiff, but that was fine. He had kept Sean close to him all night with his arm wrapped around the young man’s torso. To be in the position for so long, he was bound to wake up stiff, anyway; at least his torso was warm.   
Mark yawned in a quiet manner, making sure to not wake the resting Irishman in his arms, as he turned his head up towards the ceiling. Licking his dry lips, Mark pulls Sean even closer to him closing the small gap between their naked bodies. His own limp dick bumped into Jack’s lower backside, resting on the juncture of his coccyx. He took a slight sniff to clear his nose and that’s what got the young man stirring in his arms, the lightly haired chest under Mark’s arm inflating. The American smiled, nuzzling his face into the course brown hair against the back of Sean’s head. Mark pecked his lips against what he could reach making Sean hum out loud.

“Morning,” Mark whispered to him. He was even surprised about how sensual he sounded just now, his own words crawling to his loins making his dick harden against the soft skin. Oh shit.

“Mornin’,” Sean replied with a sigh and yawn. Mark flinched a little when he felt Sean’s warm hand reach behind them and stroke his cock in a playful manner. “And good morning to you, too.” Sean giggled and, dammit, it was infectious. Mark started to giggle too as his arousal was awakened by the light petting.

“…last night was fun,” Mark whispered to him as he closed his eyes, gently grinding into the palm. 

“Mhm,” Sean replied back as he kept rubbing his hand into Mark’s cock, “It was amazing, actually…”

“…Even though I didn’t, you know, reciprocate properly?” Mark asked bashfully as he began panting. That’s when Sean removed his hand and sat up. 

“Are you kidding me?” Sean asked in a light voice as he climbed on top of Mark, straddling his waist being careful not to crush the American. “You’ve given me something that I thought was lost forever. I don’t know what I would’ve done if I hadn’t found it.” Sean met Mark’s eyes as he spoke, his blue eyes soft and wholesome. Smooth palms roamed over Mark’s torso as he leaned down over him, resting his lips against a collar bone. 

“And, what was that?” Mark asked curiously.

“You really want me to be sappy, don’t you,” Sean teased him as he planted more little kisses against Mark’s heated skin. 

“…I like hearing it, honestly. It’s nice to hear rather than imply, ya know?” 

“Yeah, I agree. Fine I’ll say it,” Sean said as he picked his head back up, closing in on Mark’s mouth. “You’ve given me hope.”

“…that is not what I was expecting,” Mark laughed. 

“Well, love is there too, but that should’ve been obvious,” Sean laughed back at him. They both just giggled and laughed and kissed. 

Then, the kiss intensified as Sean tilted his head pecking Mark’s soft lips over and over again. They fit together so well, lips molding together in a perfect seal of passion. It increased tenfold when Mark started running his hands up and down Sean’s back making the young man rock against him. Sean’s cock rutted against Mark’s belly while his soft cheeks rubbed along Mark’s now aching head and shaft. Both men moaned into each other’s mouths as they ground their hips, tongues venturing forward to meet for the first time. None of them cared about morning breath; their bodies are too wrapped up in each other to care, their tongues dancing together in slow movements. 

Sean soon pulled back to breathe, panting lightly from his mouth. He stared down into Mark’s eyes as he scooted his hips back even further until their cocks were touching side by side. Mark moaned at the contact.

“Is this okay? C-can I uh…rut against you?” Sean asked timidly.

“Yeah, it’s fine,” Mark replied breathily. He dragged his own hands up Sean’s arms as the pair shifted to get comfortable, their cocks brushing together with the sweet friction. Both men moaned out loud at the contact as Sean moved his hips ceremoniously back and forth, humping into the other man. Their cocks were hard and dribbling some pearly pre cum from the tips, adding a sweet glide on their silky skin. 

The air was thick and some sweat formed on their brows as their bodies moved in tandem. Sean blissfully moaned his pleasure resting his head on Mark’s chest as his hips kept moving, their cocks pressing together over and over again. And he was panting…panting over Mark’s chest, his eyebrows knitted as he focused on the rut. Soon, though, the desire for more compelled Mark to reach between them, wrapping his fingers around their erections squeezing them together firmly. Sean keened on top of him stuttering out a moan at the solid grip. 

“O-oh shit…” the Irishman muttered over Mark’s heated skin.

“That feel good?” Mark asked in a raspy whisper.

“Fuck, yes,” Sean murmured, taking his own fingers into his mouth coating them with a generous helping of saliva before reaching down to slather it over their hard cocks to offer some lubrication.   
Mark squeezed them together as he started moving his hand back and forth along the soft skin, being sure that Sean wasn’t sliding off of his chest in the meantime. The American reached his free arm up and around Sean’s shoulders to help keep him grounded as they fucked into Mark’s meaty fist, both men coming apart from their early morning heat. The Irishman rotated his hips, gasping and whimpering at the sweet friction between them, his belly heating up and ready to snap to completion at any moment. Mark pressed him impossibly closer as he sped up his movements, feeling the same tingling build up in the pit of his own stomach. 

“M-Mark…”

God, he sounded so sexy like this. Hot, low…loving…it was almost too much for Mark. He nearly felt sorry for the poor guy being so unraveled, so unseeing to anything else around him at the moment. He was too lost in pleasure, but Mark was okay with this. He is okay with all of this. He made a promise, and damn it all if he wasn’t going to keep it. So, he kept going, mixing the different pressures, the angles, making sure to keep the saliva and precum flowing to ensure good lubrication. All nervousness Mark had the night before was all gone; there was only passion and protectiveness, heat and assurance. Sean was safe with him and he was safe with Sean; no matter what this world threw at them.

“Ma-Mark! Oh fuck, I’m-I’m gonna cum,” Sean managed to rasp out loud between his panting and groaning. “I’m gonna cum!”

“F-fuck, me too! Go ahead, babe. I’ve got you,” Mark replied barely above a whisper as he placed a little kiss on Sean’s hairline. “I’ve got you.”

That seemed to set Sean off.

Sean came and he came hard, shuddering and groaning. Mark could feel the thick fluid splatter against his own belly, coating his fingers in it as Sean’s body convulsed into him, milking his cock in Mark’s warm wet hand. The American didn’t stop twisting his own hand over their cocks until he too felt the snap inside of his belly, letting his organ shoot out the copious amount of cum to mix with Sean’s on their stomachs. They both shuddered, they both tensed up, they both took deep breaths as if they’d been deprived for years. Mark gently uncoiled his wet fingers from their cocks, letting his spent hand fall to the bed splattering the sheets. His wrist was cramping from the strange angle, but Mark didn’t care. They could just enjoy each other, hold each other; just be. Just to tease him, Mark playfully skimmed his hand along Sean’s cock, scooping up some of the fluid to wipe it on the bed. The Irishman keened hard against him, clearly over sensitive.

“Oh shit…oh shit, I’m sorry. I’m sorry, I –“ Sean said almost pathetically, breathing into Mark’s shoulder. 

“Hey, it’s alright. Nothing to be sorry for,” Mark reassured him. “Seems like you enjoyed yourself, hmm?”

“W-what gave it away?” Sean asked with a breathy laugh as he turned to look up towards Mark. 

“Maybe it’s because of the goop all over me,” Mark chuckled back at him.

“That’s your fault,” Sean teased as he lifted his head to properly look at Mark. “It was worth it, though.”

“You’re just too damn sexy,” Mark teased back. 

“Well, someone has to be sexy!” 

“You’re saying I’m not?” Mark countered.

“Fine, we can both be sexy,” the small man joked before he kissed Mark on the lips. They both giggled and sighed together, relaxing into the bed.

“I feel gross,” Mark said.

“Same.”

“We should probably get up.”

“I suppose,” Sean murmured as he nuzzled into Mark’s neck. “But I’m comfy.”

“And gross,” Mark chuckled.

“Beggars can’t be choosers,” Sean simply replied with a light kiss to Mark’s shoulder. The American gave him a look and Sean rolled his eyes in a dramatic fashion. “Fine, I’ll get up.”

With that, Sean sat up and carefully dismounted the American with a grunt. He stepped off the bed, planting his feet on the cold floor, reaching down for a towel. He quickly swiped a dried part over his belly and hand, cleaning up what he could. 

“Ugh, this is really gross. Here,” Sean said as he tossed aside the stained towel and grabbed the other discarded one from the floor. He handed it to Mark to wipe off his own belly before retreating out the door to step into the bathroom.

Mark idly swiped the towel over his stomach and hands cleaning up whatever he found before exiting the bed himself. The chilly air graced over his heated skin, forcing a small shiver in his torso that went down to his toes. He debated with himself if he should shower completely. Their water supply would quit any day now; was it worth the risk to fully shower? They just did last night. Maybe he could suffice with a just a sponge bath, if anything. He could simply wet a rag, soap it up, and clean himself that way. That was a good idea.

The American stepped out of the bedroom to join Sean in the bathroom. He found the Irishman in front of the mirror, prodding at his shoulders before he turned to look at him.

“Hey, sunshine,” Sean said with a smile. 

“You don’t need to butter me up anymore, you know,” Mark joked.

“Heh, sorry. It’s a habit,” Sean told him turning to look at himself in the mirror, again. “I need a trim.”

Mark smiled, too, thinking over those simple words. He wouldn’t pry; more than likely it stemmed from how he used to converse with Signe when she was alive. It was fine. Mark did the same thing with Amy. In fact, there were a lot of instances that Sean reminded him of the relationship he used to have with her. Mark did miss her, still; he missed everyone. But he remembered the nicknames they used to give each other and the nicknames he used to get when he was a child by his mom. His mother always told him he had a heart of gold and smile as bright as the sun. Amy even noticed and used to say how his smile was so bright she’d need to wear sunglasses just to look at him. He’d laugh it off and bare his teeth at her any chance he had just to be goofy. 

He missed those days. He missed his mother, too. The day he lost contact with his home was the day where he died a little. It pained him to no end that he’d probably never see his family again. No more happy smiles, no more mom hugs, no more family dinner, no more “My Little Sunshine” jokes and singing it to him…no more Amy.

For what it’s worth, hearing Sean say it felt nice. He missed it.

“Mark?” Sean called out to him from his reflection.

“Huh? Oh sorry. I was spacing out,” Mark clarified.

“…you’re not regretting anything, are you?” Sean asked with concern in his voice, turning to look at him. Oh shit.

“No, no, no. I was just thinking about my family,” Mark assured with solidarity as he grabbed a rag from the little linen closet. He approached Sean with a smile on his face to help ease the Irishman’s worry. “Just, when you called me sunshine…it stirred up some nice memories, ya know. Amy and I used to interact like this and my mom…used to sing the Sunshine song to me when I was little.”  
“My Little Sunshine?” Sean asked.

“…yeah. It’s a nice song,” Mark said a little solemnly as he dipped the rag under the faucet of the tub. He lathered some soap into it, turning the water off. To make it easier, Mark stepped into the tub and started washing himself, first cleaning the sticky bits on his stomach, then trailing the cloth up and down his ribs. 

“That’s a good idea,” Sean said from beside him as he started lathering his face with shaving cream. “Look at you, saving water like a boss!”

Mark chuckled at him as he finished cleaning himself up. He tossed the rag into the hamper after wringing it out while Sean trimmed his facial hair. He nicked himself a little bit on the neck just over his jugular forming a small line going across. Sean grunted in the process.

“Fucking shit, that hurt,” he mumbled as he put down the razor. He clamped a finger over the cut and pulled it back to look at the small amount of blood. The blood had spread in the crease of his neck making a nice little line across the skin. Mark stepped out of tub coming up behind the naked Irishman taking a look for himself in the mirror. Sean met Mark’s reflective gaze and smiled.

“You’ll be fine. You need to be more careful. Don’t want it to scar over,” he chuckled before he leaned in placing a soft kiss on his cheek.

“You do have to admit, though. This looks cool!” Sean gestured to the line of blood on his neck with a goofy grin.

Mark just simply rolled his eyes before walking out of the bathroom and into the bedroom to get dressed. He found some nice warm clothes from the closet.

“I’m going to check on the cattle and make some food,” Mark called into the bathroom once he was fully dressed.

“I’ll be down in a minute,” Sean replied as he had finished with his shave and was washing himself off in the tub with a different wet rag and lathered soap.

Mark smiled before he stepped away, leaving to go downstairs.  
*******  
The kitchen was bright as usual when he stepped down with the morning sun filtering through the curtain from the window to the back yard. Nothing out of the ordinary…until the sound of Sam just wailing out loud caught his attention. Sam was known for making noises when he was bored, or just being a baby, but this…this was different. The sound turned his guts inside out and immediately, Mark was running for the back door, unlocking it and twisting the handle to open it. Mark drew it back and forced himself outside whipping his head in a panic towards the sounds of Sam balling. He didn’t need to look far. His guts completely flipped at what he saw just a few yards away from him.

There on the floor of their little shack, was a very dead Mama. Mark’s jaw dropped at the sight of the blood dried on the ground surrounding her dead body. Poor Sam was laying against her side, crying out in mourning, his stomach bathed in her blood. Little Sam took a minute to lick at her ear to gain a reaction from her. She didn’t move; her ear flap just rested right back into place. Mark approached the dead cow with care, scanning the yard for any bastards that might lurking around. Maybe that’s what happened; maybe a bastard broke in and ate her, or maybe…maybe he forgotten to close the gate last night and they wandered in. That had to be it…please, let that be it. Mark cautiously took his time and to his utter dismay, there was no sign of any bastards around. In fact, when he finally got to Mama…her throat had been slit open right under her chin, straight down her throat to her shoulders. The two men must’ve been so dead to the world last night that they didn’t hear the inevitable commotion. What is worse…this was done by a living person, not a bastard. Oh fuck…

“Oh fuck! Fuck!” Mark murmured to himself. Wasting no more time, Mark ran back into the house, locked the door, and bolted up the stairs.

Sean emerged from his bedroom to only step out of the way of the crazed man as he dashed past him into the empty room facing the street. Sean followed him into the room, watching as Mark frantically grabbed the gun from the sill, checking it, and making sure it was loaded.

“Mark?! What’s happening? What’s going on?” Sean asked in a panic. “Are we under attack?! What’s wrong?!”

“Mama’s dead,” Mark said as he cocked the gun and proceeded to walk out.

“Wait, what?! What are you talking about?!” Sean screamed at him.

“She’s DEAD, Sean! That asshole killed her! Whoever that asshole is, got past out traps, came into the back yard last night and slit her throat!” Mark screamed back as he turned to look at Sean.  
The Irishman gasped, his face going even more pale than it already was at Mark’s trifling words. His lip trembled and tears were forming in his eyes. Mark sighed.

“No fucking way…he…she…whatever, they found us! How the fuck did they find us?! Sonofabitch!!!” Sean yelled as he composed himself and went into his own bedroom. He scrambled for whatever he was looking for until he was standing in the hallway with Mark again, holding his own rifle. “That fucking asshole is going to die!”

Before Mark could stop him, Sean stomped down the hallway, downstairs into the kitchen, his footsteps echoing throughout the house. Mark followed as fast as he could, keeping up with the pissed off man. Both men were high on adrenaline as they bee lined for the backyard, so Sean could see the massacre for himself. Mark almost wanted to pull him back into the house, but it was too late. He held his rifle up, looking down the barrel, just in case this asshole showed up out of nowhere. Whoever they were dealing with, couldn’t possibly be far away. They were smart, having evaded all the traps Mark had set around the house. They were patient, like a hunter or a fisherman. They weren’t just dealing with some ordinary person here. Mark had no idea how long ago Mama had died, but he didn’t care. He took the position of protecting them as Sean sauntered over to Mama and bent down to look at her. 

Sean started sobbing, making Mark look over at him on the ground. The Irishman was on his knees in the coagulated blood on the grass, patting Mama’s head, her lifeless eyes rolled backwards and tongue lopped to the side, out of her mouth. Sam had stopped mooing and was just lying next to her, resting his chin on her neck and watched Sean sob hard, his shoulders shaking at the dead animal in front of him. Mark had to look away to keep from crying. He walked over to the gate of the backyard and unlatched it, hoping to see some sign that this person had even cut themselves, or shred a piece of clothing on one of his traps.

There was nothing; not a single one of his traps looked like they were touched. It’s as if this person knew where all of them were…like they had been watching Mark the day before setting them all up…which means they could be watching right now.

Oh shit.

Mark stepped back into the yard and walked over to Sean, kneeling down next to him. “Sean?”

“…we should take the meat,” Sean said lowly.

“But, what if-“

“We can’t let it go to waste…not like this,” Sean murmured as he sniffed and wiped his nose with the heel of his palm. “This is why we brought her back, right?”

“Well…yeah, but we don’t know how long ago this happened. What if the meat is bad?”

“…it was cold enough outside. The meat should be fine. Go get a bucket and knife, please,” Sean said with a lofty tone. 

Mark wanted to argue more, but he obeyed nonetheless. Sean did have a point. The night was frigid enough to keep the meat cold. He did worry, still. Regardless, Mark fetched a bucket and a knife from the kitchen before heading back outside. He rejoined the Irishman on the ground just staring at the large bovine, not exactly sure where to start. Her body was already swelling up, but her limbs remained stiff from the freezing air. Sean intervened by grabbing the knife from Mark’s stiff fingers and without preamble, he began slicing into her chest like a corpse on an autopsy table. Mark just watched with fascination as Sean got to work, no doubt reliving his farm hand days as his hands became a bloody mess from peeling away her flesh to expose her insides.   
*****  
The task was done.

It was a long hard road to completion, but nevertheless, Sean persevered. He’d taken all the meat that he could, putting it aside on a tarp that Mark had gotten at some point while the innards were dumped into the bucket. The intestines were the heaviest next to the stomach chambers this animal had; good god. Mark hauled the dead flesh away a couple of houses away, trashing the backyard. He made sure to do a check first before steeping foot on the property. Nothing out of ordinary was found; just an abandoned lot that was overgrown with nature. 

The cycle repeated until it was a few hours later and Mama was nothing more than an empty shell husked out from inside. Her ribs were too tough to break, but she was lighter and easier to move. Mark’s shoulders were aching from his trips back and forth, sweat on his brow as he traveled with the mutilated carcass pieces, that asshole still on his mind. He hated them for making Sean do this. Granted, both men would have done it anyway if they were on the brink of starvation…theoretically. Sean had become very attached to the poor thing; that much was obvious. But, he also made sure that nothing went to waste, either. This was a part of their life, now. On the one hand, Mark was grateful for the amount of food they now had. They would have to eat it fairly quick to keep it from spoiling, but that was fine. 

Back in the house around twilight, Sean had done a remaining perimeter check to ensure the traps were still in place and that the fence had no weak spots. He replaced what needed to be fixed, set the traps again to ensure their usefulness; Mark worked hard on them, but they just did not work. While he reinforced the house from the outside, Mark went about cooking the meat that they had gathered. They would eat well and their bodies would thank them for it, but it was a bittersweet loss. And what about Sam? What of that asshole came back? How could they protect him from being slaughtered too soon? And why not kill both of them? Why did this asshole only kill Mama? Just to toy with them? Was that it? Jesus…they were dealing with a psycho. 

Sean came back into the house after he’d cleaned up the shed. He tossed his tools down on the floor, not caring that he made loud sounds his arms dripping in blood and dirt. He gave Mark an exhausted look, only nodding once as a weird thank you for cooking the meat on the stove. Mark offered a small smirk for what it’s worth, knowing all too well that Sean was bone tired. The Irishman headed up the stairs to go clean up, leaving Mark with his thoughts again.  
****  
After they had eaten and the stored the meat properly, Sean had sauntered into the lookout room that surveyed the streets in front of the house. He sat down on the limp chair, cleaning the rifle. Mark walked into the doorway and knocked a knuckle against the frame. Sean looked up from his task, a serious expression on his face.

“I can watch tonight,” Mark offered quietly. “You’ve done so much today already. Get some rest.”

“…that’s not necessary,” Sean said quietly as he continued cleaning the gun’s barrel.

“I mean it.”

“I know you do…I’m just not tired right now.”

“Bullshit.”

“You’re not my mother, Mark. I’m a grown ass man-“

“A grown ass exhausted man,” Mark corrected with a hint of humor. Sean didn’t respond to it.

“There’s a cunt out there that is messing with us…you think I can sleep soundly knowing that shit?” Sean asked as he raised a finger to gesture at the window. “This bitch is dangerous. They’re toying with us…I can’t sleep on that! I just can’t!”

“Just sleep in here with me,” Mark offered. 

“I’m staying up,” Sean shot back.

Mark sighed giving up on the argument. “Fine, but if you fall asleep, I’m carrying your ass to bed. Deal?”

“Not gonna happen,” Sean said with surety. He settled the gun on the sill and pointed it out into the night with the safety on. “Grab your gun. It’s going to be a long night.”  
********  
Sean fell asleep, just like Mark predicted. 

The American had taken over Sean’s spot on the chair while Sean sat on the floor with his back leaning against the wall, head leaning uncomfortably forward. A light snoring sound could be heard from him. Mark snorted to himself before placing the gun down. He walked causally over to the sleeping man and knelt down. He tilted Sean’s head up; his bangs were covering his face making Mark smile. Carefully, Mark scooped him up bridal style in his arms and walked him into the bedroom across the hallway. Mark laid him gently on the bed, making sure to put covers on him. In spite of himself, he placed a little kiss on the Irishman’s temple, wishing him a soft goodnight. He stepped out of the bedroom, closing the door behind him.

There hadn’t been movement for hours, now. No subtle hints as to the whereabouts of this fucker were prevalent in the streets. There was nothing but wind and some leaves blowing around on the asphalt. Mark yawned and wiped his face, smacking his lips. 

He was thirsty. He was thirsty and he didn’t have a drink to sooth his parched tongue. He walked quietly into the bathroom and turned the handle for the faucet, but nothing came out. There was a steady dripping, but nothing else. It was extremely odd considering he was able to wash earlier in the day. What the hell? Maybe he should try downstairs.

With that decision, Mark grabbed his flashlight and walked down into the kitchen. He was met with silence and that small amount of panic struck him again. He checked through the back curtain to make sure Sam was still okay. Mark sighed internally when he saw the little calf sleeping sounding in the shed watching the chest pump up and down a few times under the moonlight. He let the curtain billow back into place as he walked over to the sink. He got the same result when he turned the faucet handle over the kitchen sink. His heart sank. It finally happened. The water was finally shut off. But…it was so strange. When did this happen? Could it be possible there was a leak in the basement or something? Did Signe knock out a pipe or something? Mark doubted it, but there was no harm in checking, anyway.

Mark walked over to the basement door and opened it. The putrid smell didn’t bother him much anymore, although it still stung his nostrils when he took a sniff. He braced his light at shoulder height and proceeded down the creaking stairs until he hit the floor. He scanned the light against the many boxes that littered the area, scoping the walls of their pipes to see if any of them have come loose, or broken off. He lead himself around the basement, trying to locate where the problem was. 

And oh boy did he find it.

Towards the back of the basement, where Signe was kept in the little room down there, Mark stepped in a puddle seeping from beneath the door. 

“Oh shit,” he mumbled. His face went pale and his hands clamped up as he realized he’d have to go in there to fix the leaking pipe. He should go get Sean. Signe was more comfortable with him.   
Mark made up his mind and was about to turn around until he felt the press of something to the back of his head. It clicked with his skull and dread coursed through his body. He spun around on his heel to face what had bumped into him only to find a large figure holding a pistol just a little bit away from his forehead.

“Well, well, well,” the intruder said with malice, “it appears his ‘wife’ is feeling better...”


	18. Look Away

It was an understatement to point out how large the lump in Mark’s throat was. He felt like he was choking on it, trying to swallow it down, but his esophagus was tightly closed in fear. Some sweat beaded on his forehead ready to slither down into his eyes. Mark was also confused at the mention of “wife.” Who was he talking about? Did this guy know about Signe? Who the fuck was he talking about?! How did this asshole know them?! Or, was he just fucking with Mark? He had so many questions. Mark took a closer look at the man before him, trying to see if he could recognize anything about him. Mark shown the flashlight on the other’s face, but he didn’t know who this guy was. All he saw was a hard scowl on the man’s features, staring into his very soul, it seemed. The man before Mark stood about six feet tall, large build, and was covered in mud around his ankles. He wore heavy boots, a long leather trench coat, a bandana around his throat, and he had broken glasses hanging on the collar of his shirt. Mark also caught a glimpse of the hole in his pants above an ankle. There were old stains around the tattered opening.

None of it mattered right now. There was no way this asshole was going to leave this place alive, but Mark was frozen on the spot, his body and mind conflicted on how to handle the situation. Mark wanted to cry, he wanted to run, he wanted to scream, he wanted to kill this asshole; he wanted to do so many things, but fear is a cruel mistress. She can tear your self-confidence to shreds right in front of you, eat it, and then laugh in your face making you feel helpless and small. 

That’s how Mark felt now…helpless; only because a flashlight was his weapon on hand, but there was no way he could throw it at this guy, run up the stairs to get Sean before his head would explode from the single pistol shot. Fuck, and if he yelled, what would happen? Would this asshole kill him and then go kill Sean? Or, would Sean kill him, and Mark would be dead? God dammit, no! This situation was going to end up with both Mark and Sean alive…and this asshole was going to die.

“Where’s your lover?” the man asked still not letting the pistol down.

Should Mark lie? What good would that do? This asshat already knows they’re both in the house. Mark just stayed silent, just breathing cautiously through his nose not gracing him with an answer.  
“Shall we go find him? I want to see his face when I kill you,” the man said with a sinister twist in his voice.

“What do you want?” Mark asked instead with a slight hint of bravery trying to make its way through. Even though a cold chill ran down his spine, and his feet were going numb, he wouldn’t give in to this man’s taunts like that. Fuck this guy. As scary as this situation was, Mark had to play it cool. He clenched his fists at his sides instead, so badly wanting to deck this guy in the face. He hated killing people; he really did. But how dare this mother fucker intrude on their peaceful abode demanding his whereabouts…and threatening them when Mark and Sean did nothing to him. He had no right to be here…

“I’m hungry,” the man simply replied.

“…thanks to you, we have meat we can spare. Why don’t you just take that and be gone. I don’t want any trouble,” Mark said getting a little braver, but still unable to move. He ignored the swelling of his palms as his fingernails dug into his skin. “…why didn’t you just take what you wanted?”

“I’m hungry for something else,” the man replied simply. 

“Something else?” Mark asked cautiously. What else could he be hungry for –

Mark stopped himself as he finally understood what was happening. Oh no…

This had to be the man Sean told him about when they first met…the cannibal from the forest. He had tracked them down…oh shit…

They were then interrupted by a loud thud coming from inside the small room behind them. Mark was suddenly hyper aware of his soaked shoes, some of the water seeping inside soaking his feet. He just swallowed and tried to pretend he didn’t hear anything.

“Who’s in there?” the man asked, pointing his gun to the door behind Mark.

“…no one.”

“We’re not playing games here, boy,” the man said darkly. “If you don’t tell me, we’ll just have to find out together, hmm?”

Mark made no movement, keeping his mouth shut. So, this guy hasn’t gone in there yet. Maybe he could –

“Get in there,” the man said.

Mark blinked. “Excuse me?”

“I didn’t stutter, dumbass. Get. In. There,” he spat with each word, approaching closer, cocking the pistol. Mark sucked in a breath tensing his shoulders. He’s pretty sure his palms were bleeding. He was two seconds away from screaming out to Sean. Even if he died, Sean may have a chance. He sucked in a breath.

But he never got a chance to scream because above their heads, Sean called out to him, “Mark? Where are you? Everything okay?” It was followed by echoing footsteps. 

The intruder smiled widely, then seemed to ponder. “Ahh, there he is.” Mark swallowed the lump in his throat. “Answer him.”

Mark froze. Fuck…

“I won’t tell you again,” the man threatened as he pointed with his pistol. “I’ll just have to shoot you and then kill him. But, I think it would be more fun to let him watch you die. Answer him.”  
“Fuck you…” Mark said with a trembling lip, trying to be defiant.

“Stubborn little shit. I’ll find out who’s in there anyway with or without you. I’ll kill you, kill them, and then him. Would you want that? I’ll do it slowly, too. I’ll carve him up while he’s still alive…piece by delicious piece. He’ll be begging for you to make the pain stop. Do you want him to suffer? Don’t you want to say your final parting words to one another?”

Mark let out a shaky breath letting a tear slip from his eye. He stared down the barrel of the pistol contemplating his choices. Sean had a rifle upstairs; chances are he’s not holding it and he is walking towards the basement stairs unaware of what was happening. Maybe he could signal him somehow…maybe he could talk his way out of this and take this asshole down when he least expected it. 

Fuck. 

The gun rattled in the man’s hand bringing Mark out of his head back the situation. Another thud sounded behind them as Signe continued to move around. It was lucky that she didn’t make much vocal noise. Maybe if Mark played his cards right he could – 

“Get over here, or you’ll be dead before he sees you,” the man said. Mark still refused to move. “I’m losing my patience, boy. Get over here.”

“I thought you wanted me in there,” Mark said defiantly calm motioning to the room behind them. Sean was getting closer to the basement. If Mark could keep this asshole distracted long enough-  
Then there was the dreaded sound of the basement door being opened. Mark panicked and immediately bolted for the stairs attempting to knock the asshole out of the way. Mark landed a weak elbow into the cannibal’s side, but he didn’t have much effect. The man was solid, strong, and quick. Mark’s elbow landed the blow, but the cannibal’s arm wrapped around the back of Mark’s skull, pulling Mark down to the floor right on his knees. Mark felt the cement beneath his body while the butt of the pistol was slammed into the back of his head sending him chest first onto the floor. The wind was knocked from his lungs prohibiting him from screaming out to Sean to get away, to save himself; to take what they have and run. He failed. He fucked up. He realized now that Sean would be that this asshole’s mercy and Mark couldn’t do anything about it. 

This was it. This was the end of him. Going out by gunshot would at least be merciful. Quick and easy, but he hated the idea of Sean seeing his brains splattered on the floor. Why did he think this would work?

All this happened in an instant, Mark subdued by his own wrecklessness while Sean was staring down into the black void of the musty basement. A beam of light from Sean’s flashlight showed down the stairs cascading over Mark’s face that was turned into the cement by his cheek while the cannibal had rendered one of his own arms behind his back, the hard barrel of the gun poking the back of his skull. No doubts were in Mark’s head that Sean heard the rustle and grunts of the two men trying to dominate each other, one out of survival and the other out of malice. But there Sean was, the shadows dancing on his face demonstrating a look of terror as the beam of light went from Mark’s face up the barrel of the pistol to the asshole’s face. Mark could practically hear the man smile above him as they stared each other down.

“Nice to see you again. Remember me, asshole?” the cannibal called up to Sean from the bottom of the stairs. “You’re just in time to watch your ‘wife’ die.”

Mark watched Sean tremble at the man’s words, his mouth agape in shock. He didn’t have much of a chance a look before the cannibal grabbed a fistful of shirt from of his collar yanking him from the cold floor, the barrel clicking against his neck digging into his tender skin. Mark was brought to his knees, as he looked up at Sean at the top of the stairs. His eyes watered at the sight. He felt like he betrayed Sean yet again. He failed to keep them safe even though he tried. His heart filled with regret and his imagination ran wild with images of their fate.

No. no, he can’t think like this. This was dire, it was do or die. He had to keep his cool. As long as he saw Sean’s face, they weren’t dead yet. But this shithead was unpredictable. He could shoot Mark at any second. They needed to distract him somehow…

“Y-you…” Sean said in utter disbelief. “H-how-how did- “

“Doesn’t matter, pretty boy. But, your lover here sure did help me out. Thanks for the bread crumbs, buddy,” the cannibal mentioned above him. Mark didn’t even notice that the asshole was standing up, his solid legs a strong presence behind him. Mark swallowed the lump in his throat trying to keep calm. A single tear slipped down his cheek.

“Sean, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” Mark said plaintively.

“Mark, don’t-“

“If you want him to live, get down here, pretty boy,” the cannibal commanded with a strong tone, pushing the barrel tip against Mark’s head for emphasis. Sean didn’t move, too afraid to take a step forward. The cannibal scowled, cocking the hammer with his thick thumb. The click echoed in the basement mingling with Mark’s harsh breath through his nose.

“W-wait, wait, wait! Please, don’t hurt him. Just let him go! This is all my fault. It’s me you want,” Sean pleaded loudly, his voice cracking and trembling in anguish. 

“Get. Down. Here,” the man commanded again. 

“Sean, no! Just run-“ Mark tried to counter only earning him a yank to the floor and being forced to walk on his hands and knees towards the small room where Signe was. Sean hurried down the stairs as fast as he could to join them in the dark. Mark was forced into a kneeling position again, his knees soaking in the large, cold puddle on the floor. 

“Stop! Leave him alone!” Sean screamed, unable to control his fear anymore. “I’m here! Now let him go!”

“Not until we see who’s in there,” the man stated calmly indicating the room behind them, a sinister tone in his voice. 

Sean froze immediately before swallowing his own terror down.

“Th-there’s no one in there. It’s just me and him,” Sean tried to say with confidence, but failed miserably.

“Do you really want to play games with me, boy?” To emphasize his point, the cannibal slammed the butt of the pistol into the back of Mark’s neck causing the American to bellow in agony. Mark fell to the side landing on his shoulder, murmuring in pain his ear in the water. The cannibal placed his dirty wet boot over Mark’s cheek smashing his face into the cold water. Mark just laid there staring up at Sean his vision blurred. “I can just kill him if that’s what you want!”

“NO! PLEASE! Okay, okay! I-I’ll open the door. Just, please don’t hurt him,” Sean was crying as he spoke and Mark desperately wanted to comfort him. The boot was pressed impressively hard over his jaw, forcing his bones to creak under the pressure. He lay still like a dead fish just watching this all unfold, trying to think of a solution. This asshole had no idea Signe was in there. What if –  
Sean slowly opened the door to the small room and saw darkness. Sean moved the light beam in the opening of the doorway, the sound of rushing water from the burst pipe spilling onto the floor radiating from the void. 

“Come out, come out, little fish,” the cannibal called out loudly. “Let’s see your pretty face.”

There was a moment or two of nothing. No movement; only rushing water. 

“GET OUT HERE!” The man yelled angrily pointing his gun at the doorway. Mark flinched under his boot on the floor and was partially thankful Signe didn’t round the corner. Sean wanted to keep her safe and if this asshole figured out she was a zombie, well –

It happened, though.

Signe slowly shuffled her way into the beam of light, grunting softly at the new sound. It was miracle her legs still worked, considering how decayed she was at this point. Her face was worse for wear, her lips completely gone and the tip of nose was gone as well. She still had some meat on her legs which propelled her forward towards the beam of light. She rounded the edge of the wall and stood in the doorway, her gray skin, dried bloody flesh lighting up in the dark. She grumbled softly looking around as if she knew where the sound had come from but her glazed eyes couldn’t find the source. Her head swiveled loosely on her neck tilting to an inhuman angle at the light on her face. 

“Well, well, well, look what we have here,” the cannibal said in a twisted delight in his tone. “Harboring a bastard, eh pretty boy? What do you use it for? I can think of a few things.”

Sean didn’t respond. He just stood still clenching his fists at his sides biting back his retort. Sean was always looking out for everyone and Mark commended him for his bravery. 

“You guys are some sick fucks, huh. You keep it around for the old ‘in-and-out’? What about your lover here? Doesn’t he mean anything to you? Or do you guys share?” the cannibal taunted mercilessly.  
Sean did his best to stay calm. One wrong word, one false move, and any one of them would be gone. Fuck, this was bad.

“And here I thought I would have the pleasure of killing you both in front of someone you love. But, she won’t care, would you darlin’?” the cannibal teased viciously. Signe grunted in response as she started forward, sauntering into the open space. She looked over at the cannibal and growled lowly. She started shambling towards him, dragging her bare feet in the cold water. “Oooh, looky here, boys. We have a walker. Poor thing must be miserable trotting around like that. No life, no love, nothing but flesh and puss.” Mark twitched under the boot as he realized the gun was aimed now at Signe. “We should just put her out of her misery, boys. What do you say?” The cannibal started to pull the trigger. 

From where he was, Mark could see the look in Sean’s eyes, time seemingly slowing down for him to glance at the sheer horror on his friend’s face. Oh shit, no! “Sean! Don’t – “

But it was too late.

Mark heard Sean screaming “NO!!!” before he stepped in the way out of desperation in front of Signe to protect her from the gun aimed at her. In a flash, before any of them knew it, a loud blast of the gun going off filled the basement. Mark’s ears were ringing, his vision slowly coming back into focus after the rough sound against his ear drums. A splitting headache pounded in his skull, but he ignored it trying to get a good look at what happened. He searched desperately with his eyes, listened as best he could with his ears to gain a semblance of what just transpired. 

His vision cleared, his breath hitched higher up at what he saw; Signe’s face was on the floor next to his staring into her lifeless eyes. But she was still moving and growling, her jaw slack but slightly going up and down. Mark looked beyond her shoulder more concerned about Sean. He couldn’t see much past Signe’s shoulder, until she rolled over facing the ceiling.   
Mark stopped breathing and widened his eyes in shock as he saw Sean’s body lying on the ground…not moving. 

No…no, no, no!

Pure rage surged through his veins and Mark used all of his strength to roll out from the man’s boot while he was distracted. Mark screamed with an animalistic howl as he brought his body into a crouched position and lunged into the man’s gut, finally knocking him to the floor. They struggled as Mark tried to subdue him, screaming with all his fury trying to knock the gun out of the man’s grasp. He reached for the man’s wrist with both his arms, twisting it furiously to break bones. His anger surged even more, his eyes blind with unholy rage, and all he could think about was Sean’s motionless body the floor behind him. Fuck, fuck, fuck!

Mark struggled to get the guy to let go and screamed in agony when a pair of teeth bit into his own wrist, trying to tear a chunk out of his own flesh. Mark howled in pain, but refused to let the man go. He made a desperate move to unlatch the man from his own arm with all the effort he had left. Mark raised his head and smashed it forward, head butting the cannibal below him. Mark saw stars; he saw white from hitting the damned asshole so hard. Mark became dizzy and almost slumped forward over the man beneath him. But it worked. His strategy worked because the cannibal had let go, seemingly dizzy himself, his nose bleeding profusely. Mark probably broke it, but he was fine with that. The cannibal’s grip on the gun loosened, giving Mark time to wrestle it from him before the man came to. Mark smiled in victory over his win, not caring about his own bloody wound as he pulled the hammer back on the gun and aiming it at the cannibal’s head.

He pulled the trigger…and nothing happened.

The gun did not go off.

Shit!

Mark didn’t see the punch to the face coming in time until hard knuckles slammed into the side of his cheek knocking him off to the side of the man. Mark let go of the gun, his stomach dropping when he listened to it skitter across the cement floor somewhere in the dark. The cannibal then pushed them over with a loud growl and used his legs to straddle Mark’s stunned body, wrapping his large hands around the vulnerable American’s throat, choking his airway. Mark struggled, kicking his legs, using his arms to grab at the man above him trying to get a good solid hit of some kind in against this fucker. Nothing worked. He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t think, his face puffed up, his chest nearly collapsed, choked sobs were the only sounds he could make as he struggled to intake any air that he could. The man above him was going fuzzy, his eyes rolling up into his skull, his hearing diminishing. The sinister smile on the cannibal’s face was going to be the last thing that he saw. Mark fucked up real bad this time. Sean was dead because of him, and he was dying; there was nothing he could do about it.

Suddenly, the heavy man stiffened above Mark making a grunting sound. Mark felt the hands around his neck slowly release him. He sucked in air greedily taking in what he could to get his lungs the much needed oxygen. He sputtered and coughed, gagged and gasped, all the while the cannibal on top of him slumped to the side. Once his vision returned, Mark saw Sean standing behind him, holding a long piece of wood in swung out position. Mark couldn’t believe what he was seeing. 

Sean got shot! He GOT SHOT! But he was alive! Mark had never been so happy in the moment. He stood up from the ground ignoring his own throat as he stumbled over to the injured Irishman who’s shoulder was gaping open and bloody.

“S-Sean! Oh thank god, you’re alive! I thought-fuck I thought -“ Mark didn’t get a chance to finish before he felt a hand grasp his ankle and yank him down again. He fell on his stomach before Sean could stop him. Mark looked over his shoulder ignoring the rush of pain in his chest and saw the cannibal clawing at his leg. Mark screamed out when he felt the same teeth bite into his calf through his pant leg while viciously kicking out his good foot to try and land a few blows to the asshole’s face. “Get off of me!”

The cannibal held Mark’s other foot down as he looked up from Mark’s leg, his mouth covered in Mark’s blood, “I’ll gut you both! I’ll make you watch each other die! Fucking die-AHHH!!!” 

The cannibal wailed in pain as Signe sunk her own teeth into the man’s leg from behind him. She tore through his flesh like a hot knife slicing butter, ripping a chunk of some fabric and skin off his calf. She chewed slowly growling with each crunch and swallowed what she had in her mouth.

“You fucking cunt! I’ll kill you!” the cannibal screamed before he released Mark. The cannibal tried to yank his leg away from Signe, but she held on tightly, sinking her teeth in yet again for another bite. The cannibal twisted under her trying to get away from the crawling zombie girl, but Mark thought quickly. In a flash, the American turned around, wrapping his uninjured arm around the man’s throat from behind, locking his elbow tight under the man’s jaw. He squeezed with all his might, using his best choke hold technique and held on tight. The cannibal struggled and panicked, trying to twist and get loose, but was struggling to remain confident as Signe crawled up his legs snarling and snapping her jaws. She was aiming for the man’s stomach. The cannibal screamed out while flailing his legs to dislodge her, but there was no getting out of this. Mark held tighter to cannibal and closed his eyes, waiting for the gruesome end to unfold. 

To say that is was the most sickening sound he’s ever heard in his life was an understatement. The squelching, crunching, and the screams of torment as if they were in Hell itself filled the basement echoing when it needed to off of every wall. Mark kept his eyes closed, kept his hold on the man’s wiggling body as he tried desperately to get away from the grueling pain Signe was causing. Mark didn’t want to watch. He didn’t want to look at what she was doing. She was a zombie; this is what zombies do. He had to let it happen, or he might end up being her next meal. The screaming was the worst part of this whole thing. It was deafening to say the least and the amount of blood and gore spilling over the floor in tremendous amounts made his stomach turn. Just the smell of iron and copper alone was enough to make him gag. But he held on. Mark held onto the screaming man for dear life. It was kind of ironic; a cannibal being eaten by another cannibal… in a weird sense.

Soon, the wiggling stopped. The screaming stopped, but the crunching and squelching continued on. Mark opened his eyes taking a small peek over the cannibal’s shoulder. Signe’s hands were buried in the man’s stomach that she had ripped open with her clawed fingers and teeth. She was searching for something meaty to chew on, deciding the remaining intestines would do just fine. She pulled them out of the gaping wound slurping and biting into the organ, content as a kid in a candy store. Mark’s stomach retched at the sight and the smell as he let the dead man loose from his grip and crawled backwards to let Signe finish her meal. 

Mark breathed heavily, trying to take everything in as he looked for Sean. The Irishman was gone; probably went back upstairs into the kitchen. In a panic, Mark got up from the greasy bloody floor and made his up to find Sean.  
********  
Mark found Sean in the upstairs bath tub, wheezing out even breaths. He held a wet bloody towel to the open wound, trying to calm himself down. 

“Sean,” Mark immediately raced over to him and dropped on his knees in front of the tub. God, he badly wanted to kiss and hold him right now. He was alive. Sean was alive and Mark was alive. They were both alive because of Signe. She helped them. She really did. She may have just been startled with the new face in the room, but regardless, it was him she went for and not them. 

“Mark…” Sean softly called out to him.

“Just keep breathing, Sean. You’ll be okay. Lean forward; let me see,” Mark cooed. Sean obeyed quietly, hissing at the movement. Mark used the candle light as best he could to see what the damage was. He sighed with relief when he saw an exit wound through the back of the deltoid muscle. Sean probably had a broken collar bone and ball joint, but at least he didn’t have to go fishing for a bullet. “Clean through, babe. You got lucky.”

“What about you?” Sean asked through pain as he sat back.

“I’ll be fine. I just got bitten.”

“…not by -!”

“No, no, no. Signe didn’t bite me. Don’t worry,” Mark said calmly as he rummaged through the cabinet under the sink to look for the medical supplies.

“I couldn’t watch, Mark.”

“Me neither,” Mark replied calmly. 

“That isn’t like her…what if she does that to us one day? What if-“

“Sean, stop thinking like that. She’s had many opportunities to do that and she hasn’t. She trusts you,” Mark said as he started to dab at the wound. “She saved us

Sean choked up and started to cry. “Y-yeah, she did.”

Sean cried the whole time Mark dressed his wound, making sure to clean it, and stuff it with antiseptics. He did his best, all considering. Mark may not be the best doctor, but he’s never had to fix a bullet wound before. 

Hopefully, not ever again.


End file.
